When Rosso di Montalcino is ‘on’—and today’s 2015 from Livio Sassetti is ‘on’ and then some—there are few wines in the world that can compete with it on a value-for-dollar basis.
My Italian wine partisanship notwithstanding, I’d feel very confident putting this bottle up against just about anything in its price range: Its combination of aromatic complexity, density of fruit, and place-expressiveness is so spot-on that I can’t wait to experience Sassetti’s 2015 Brunello when it is released. That’s what Rosso di Montalcino is designed to do—offer a preview of great things to come (and generate a little much-needed cash flow besides)—but it does this wine a great disservice to relegate it to ‘opening act’ status. This is a main event red all the way, beautifully balanced and varietally true, and if I’m being honest, I don’t need any more than this from a Montalcino wine. No doubt the ’15 Brunello will be great, but, from a dollars-and-cents perspective, will it be three times as great? I tend to doubt it, and that’s not just because I’m cheap. This Rosso is easily one of the best red wine values we’ve offered all year; I can’t recommend it strongly enough!
I’ll admit, though, that there are some entrenched biases at play here: Over the years, as the general population of Brunello di Montalcino wines has gotten bigger and bigger, I’ve found safe haven, of sorts, among the Rossos. The relative minimum aging requirements being what they are, Rossos (at least those not trying to be ‘baby Brunellos’) display little to no oak influence and thus a clearer window into the soul of the Sangiovese grape. I just find Rossos to be purer, more straightforward wines in many cases—hardly something to ‘settle’ for while I wait for my Brunellos to age. There’s great power, focus, and purity in Sassetti’s ’15. It really doesn’t want for anything.
As we’ve shared in previous offers, Livio Sassetti was one of the founding members of the Brunello di Montalcino producer’s consortium (consorzio), which was created back in 1967—the same year Italy’s DOC(G) system was written into law. His property is one of two which bear the name ‘Sassetti’ (the other is Angelo Sassetti) on the “north slope” of the Montalcino hill. The two Sassettis own pieces of the farm historically known as “Podere Pertimali,” which occupies part of Montalcino’s famed “Montosoli” vineyard. Although Montalcino isn’t known for having much of the vineyard-designate culture that defines Barolo, or Burgundy, Montosoli’s cru status was given voice by the Altesino winery, which has bottled a vineyard-designate wine from the site since the late seventies. Montosoli is a rounded outcropping with 360-degree exposures, and the Livio Sassetti family’s parcel faces southeast.
If you’re looking for a Sangiovese Master Class—and who isn’t?—Sassetti’s 2015 Rosso di Montalcino has you covered. Aged for six months in stainless steel and six in bottle before release (the ’15 Brunello, meanwhile, won’t enter the market until 2020), it’s a model of transparency and impeccable balance. In the glass, it’s a deep ruby moving to garnet at the rim, with highly complex aromas of red and black cherry, plum, raspberry, blood orange, violets, mushrooms, and lots of brambly underbrush. Medium-plus bodied and blessed with silky soft tannins and plenty of freshness, it feels very complete right now but will likely continue to improve over the next 3-5 years. Sassetti wines, Rosso and Brunello alike, are always reliably savory and woodsy—a hallmark of classic Montalcino Sangiovese—but in ’15 it’s a touch more luscious ripeness that really puts the wine over the top. Give this delicious red a rough decant about 30-45 minutes before service at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems, and while its brisk acidity and fine-grained tannins incite an almost Pavlovian craving for steak, I’m going to point you in the direction of another Tuscan classic to pair with it: Thick pici pasta topped with a duck ragù. This is a guaranteed winner. Enjoy!
