2015 Brunello di Montalcino Mulino Sassetti Livio Pertimali

Dried leaves, chocolate and licorice on the nose, followed by black olives. It’s full-bodied with firm, focused tannins and a long, savory finish. Dark chocolate and crushed walnuts. Tar and hints of asphalt. Drink from 2023.

This is the first vintage of the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Mulino from Pertimali, a lower-elevation cru that’s noted for the high level of marine fossils found in its soils. Here I find a classic display of dried roses, black cherry, dusty earth and freshly-tanned leather. It envelopes the palate in fleshy textures offset by a mix of tart wild berries, zesty acids and savory spice, as building tension puckers the cheeks, seeding them with fine-grained tannins. This comes across as structured yet remarkably balanced, and it’s a beautiful expression of the vintage. Lose your bottles in the cellar for two to three years, and then reap the rewards.