History
More than a century in Montalcino
The Sassetti family has cultivated vineyards in Montalcino for more than a century, passing its work through four generations. The family’s original vineyards were at Sant’Angelo in Colle, in the southern part of the Montalcino area.
1964: the arrival at Pertimali
In 1964, the family purchased the Pertimali property on the slopes north of Montalcino. The estate occupies a site on Montosoli, an area associated with particularly favorable conditions for Sangiovese. Tenuta Pertimali subsequently became the heart of the family winery.
Lorenzo Sassetti and the fourth generation
Management later passed to Livio Sassetti’s son Lorenzo, the fourth generation of the family and an oenologist and winemaker. He runs the business with the support of his wife, Sabina. Lorenzo has renewed and enlarged the vineyards while conserving the genetic heritage and original characteristics of the existing vines.
Lorenzo also broadened the family’s activity beyond Montalcino by acquiring properties in the Tuscan Maremma and Valdobbiadene. The resulting holdings now encompass Tenuta Pertimali on Montosoli, an estate at Cinigiano near Monte Amiata, and vineyards in the municipality of Valdobbiadene.
The Torrenieri winery
The operational winery occupies an old mill in Torrenieri. The building was historically used to grind wheat before being converted to wine production. Its agricultural history is also continued through the Il Vecchio Mulino agritourism pizzeria, created around flour and Tuscan grain products.
Terroir
Montosoli, Montalcino
Tenuta Pertimali lies on a slope of the Montosoli hill, north of Montalcino. Its vineyards average 300 m above sea level and face northwest. The soils are described as marl and clay, a combination that provides both water retention and drainage. Individual Montalcino wine specifications further characterize their soils as limestone and clay.
Montosoli is associated with the gentler, more elegant expression of Brunello: good acidity, balanced alcohol, refined tannic structure and the capacity to age.
Cinigiano, Tuscan Maremma
The Cinigiano property lies in the Maremma, 25 km from Montalcino, at the foot of Monte Amiata. Its vineyards average 350 m above sea level and face northwest. The soils are volcanic with limestone, a composition linked to a mineral character in the wines. The estate associates its Maremma Sangiovese with freshness, flavor, good acidity and a vivid, intense color.
Valdobbiadene
The Valdobbiadene vineyards average 300 m above sea level and face southeast. Their position brings a temperate climate and steady ventilation. The vineyard overview describes rock and clay, while the Prosecco specification gives a mixture of clay, sand and limestone. These conditions are associated with fresh, fruity sparkling wines and a fine, persistent perlage.
Winemaking
The vineyards are managed sustainably, with organic farming preferred. The approach seeks to minimize intervention and preserve the original genetic identity of the vines. Plant material originates from native clones, and Lorenzo Sassetti’s renewal and expansion program has been carried out while conserving the genetic heritage and distinguishing characteristics of established vines.
All vine care is performed by hand, as is the harvest. Picking dates vary by site and grape: early September for Glera and Rosso di Montalcino, mid-September for Chardonnay and Vermentino, late September for Maremma Sangiovese Grosso, and early October for the Sangiovese Grosso destined for Brunello. Grapes enter the winery healthy and fully ripe, supporting a low-intervention production approach.
Spur cordon is the stated training system for the Montalcino and Cinigiano wines. Planting densities range from 4,000 vines/ha for Rosso di Montalcino to 6,000 vines/ha for Chardonnay and Vermentino and 7,000 vines/ha for Sangiovese Grosso used in Brunello, Brunello Riserva, Montecucco Rosso and Gelso.
The operational winery is housed in a former grain mill at Torrenieri. Production aims to work with healthy, fully ripe fruit while minimizing intervention. Lorenzo Sassetti favors short macerations to retain freshness and approachability and to obtain elegant, velvety tannins.
For the principal Sangiovese reds, grape bunches receive a light pressing before fermentation in stainless-steel vats at a controlled 28–29°C. Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello Riserva and Rosso di Montalcino undergo 10–15 days of maceration; Montecucco Rosso undergoes 10–12 days. Brunello matures for 36 months in 33 hl Slavonian oak casks followed by 6 months in bottle. Brunello Riserva matures for 48 months in the same size and origin of oak, followed by 12 months in bottle. Montecucco Rosso receives 6 months in 33 hl Slavonian oak and 6 months in bottle. Rosso di Montalcino instead spends 6 months in stainless steel followed by 6 months in bottle.
Olivelli, Gelso and Montecucco Bianco are made by soft cold pressing followed by controlled-temperature fermentation in stainless steel. Each matures for 3 months in stainless steel. Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore is likewise softly pressed cold and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel.
Philosophy
Respect for terroir and the enhancement of native grape varieties form the central principles of Lorenzo Sassetti’s work. Each wine is intended to retain a close relationship with its place of origin and its traditional identity.
The family combines tradition with a modern approach. In the vineyards, this means sustainable management, a preference for organic practices, preservation of native genetic material, manual work and minimal intervention. In the cellar, healthy, fully ripe grapes and short macerations are used to pursue freshness, balance, finesse and elegant, velvety tannins. The wines are conceived with enough character and structure to improve over time.