2018 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

Livio Sassetti’s Pertimali is the definition of essential Brunello.

Years ago, Robert Parker declared, “If I had only one Brunello to drink, it would be Pertimali.” They remain one of the pinnacle producers in Montalcino—but their 2018 stands out more than usual.

A spring frost cost the estate nearly one-fifth of its production, so Sassetti made the radical decision to put all the grapes usually earmarked for their $135 riserva into this bottling instead. The result is spectacular: Vinous exclaimed “Wow!” in their review, calling it “one of the top wines of the vintage.”

The Sassetti family has farmed some of Montalcino’s finest vineyards for more than a century, a longevity that’s given them an intimacy with the land that few of their peers can match. It’s a resolutely traditional estate, and it possesses a unique clone of Brunello planted nowhere else, as the family has selected their most treasured vines of it for their vineyard.

That site is on the hill of Montosoli, which Forbes called Montalcino’s “Grand Cru,” and it shows why Vinous said Sassetti’s wines are “some of the sleekest and purest of Montalcino.” 

Over the years, Pertimali has enthralled Wine Access members to no end. One called it “honestly the best Brunello I have ever had.” Others hailed it as “awesome” and “absolutely stunning.” The wine has a mix of dark, ripe fruit, savory, and floral tones, and an immense palate that will keep you transfixed. It’s a must-have.