1997 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti), Brunello di Montalcino

The super-refined 1997 Brunello di Montalcino offers lovely sweet cherry fruit, earth and smoke notes with a soft, creamy texture and outstanding length on the palate. Immensely appealing today it also appears to have another decade of prime drinking ahead of it. Anticipated maturity

Saturated, almost inky garnet. Forceful underbrush aromas of mushrooms, damp soil and road tar. Fresh flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate and anise are nicely framed by firm, mouthcoating tannins. A full-bodied and plump wine with a wonderful sense of minerality on the sustained finish.

Deep crimson. Sweet, full, smooth and rich, but with good acidity. Residual sugar. Residual sweetness and acidity in okay balance, but not enough in the middle. Flattering, but no real savour. (JR)