The Sassetti Livio Pertimali 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva reveals thick textural fiber and determined power. A core of dark fruit and black cherry is framed by spice, toast, pressed rose and earthy garden soil. It moves over the palate with a creamy, full-bodied approach. With 5,000 bottles made, this Riserva ages in Slavonian oak casks for a generous 48 months. That prolonged aging could have dried out the tannins, but this wine skirts past that problem.

Showing a dark color and appearance, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a beautiful wine. The 2012 vintages deliver some great surprises, like the ones you get here. The wine is dark and powerful with full throttle aromas of black cherry and blackberry. Spice, leather and balsam herb appear at the back. It sports firm tannins and a robust structure that will carry it forward over its aging years.

This is a magnificent wine. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a plump and generous wine that peels off with thick aromatic layers. It offers dark cherry and blackberry with spice, leather and tobacco. There is a lot of meat on these bones. The approach is soft, enduring and immediate. I loved the 2010 Brunello Annata from this producer and the Riserva lives up to my expectations (although I did like the Annata a bit more). The mouthfeel is velvety, smooth and long. Pretty mineral notes make for a dry and elegant finish.