Tenuta Luce 2018
Country
Italy
Region
Tuscany
Grape Varieties
Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon
Sustainability
Sustainable Certification
Wine Types
Still, Spirit, Red, Other
About Tenuta Luce
Tenuta Luce is a Montalcino estate in Tuscany, Italy, the first wine in Montalcino to bring together Sangiovese and Merlot. Founded in the early 1990s, the estate is a joint venture between the Frescobaldi family and Robert Mondavi, Luce was among the first estates to challenge convention in Montalcino by combining Sangiovese with Merlot. It helped establish a new category of premium Tuscan wines that sit between Brunello tradition and Super-Tuscan innovation. Located south-west of Montalcino, the estate produces premium Tuscan red wine, Brunello and Super Tuscan-style expressions from a landscape of varied soils, altitudes and exposures. The estate offers a distinctive bridge between Montalcino tradition and contemporary fine wine.
Tenuta Luce was born from an ambitious idea: to interpret Montalcino through the union of Sangiovese and Merlot. The first vintage of Luce was produced in 1993, creating a wine that respected the structure and elegance of Sangiovese while introducing the roundness and depth of Merlot. This was a bold step in a region globally recognised for Brunello di Montalcino, made entirely from Sangiovese.
Heritage
A new vision for Montalcino
Today, Tenuta Luce is part of the Frescobaldi family’s long winemaking history and is guided by a philosophy of patience, observation and respect for nature. The estate has built an identity around light, balance and the character of Montalcino, producing wines that sit confidently within the fine wine category while remaining tied to their place of origin.
Region and Vineyards
South-west Montalcino and the Val d’Orcia landscape
Tenuta Luce extends across 249 hectares south-west of Montalcino, within a largely intact landscape of vineyards, olive groves and woodland. Of this, 88 hectares are planted to vines, with a wide range of exposures, soil types and altitudes. This diversity is central to the estate’s ability to produce wines with both depth and freshness.
The vineyards range from lower, clay-rich areas suited to Merlot to higher sites where Sangiovese benefits from cooler conditions and greater aromatic definition. Around 11 hectares are registered for Brunello di Montalcino, allowing the estate to produce both Luce Brunello and its iconic Sangiovese-Merlot blend. This dual identity gives Tenuta Luce a distinctive position in Montalcino, combining DOCG tradition with a more personal interpretation of Tuscan fine wine.
Viticulture and Winemaking
Interpreting Sangiovese and Merlot with precision
Viticulture at Tenuta Luce is based on close observation of nature and the specific needs of each parcel. The estate works with different soils, altitudes and exposures, selecting grapes according to the intended character of each wine. Sangiovese provides structure, freshness and Tuscan identity, while Merlot contributes texture, breadth and depth.
In the cellar, each component is vinified with care to preserve its role in the final blend. The objective is not to make an international wine detached from place, but to create wines that reflect Montalcino through a broader lens. Luce brings together Sangiovese and Merlot in a polished, age-worthy style; Lucente offers a more approachable expression; Luce Brunello focuses on pure Sangiovese; and Lux Vitis adds Cabernet Sauvignon to the estate’s fine wine range.
Style of Wine
Tenuta Luce produces still red wines. Luce is the estate’s flagship, combining the elegance, acidity and structure of Sangiovese with the softness and richness of Merlot. The style is refined, layered and age-worthy, with ripe red and dark fruit, spice, polished tannins and a sense of Mediterranean warmth balanced by freshness.
Luce Brunello di Montalcino offers a more traditional expression of the region, based entirely on Sangiovese from the estate’s Brunello-registered vineyards. Lucente provides a more accessible route into the Tenuta Luce style, while Lux Vitis expands the estate’s interpretation of Montalcino through a Cabernet Sauvignon-led fine wine expression.
The estate’s story is particularly useful because it gives buyers more than a single Super Tuscan reference. It connects directly to Montalcino, while offering multiple expressions of the territory: an iconic blend, a Brunello, a second wine and a more Cabernet-led fine wine.
A Montalcino fine wine reference in the UK trade
Wines from Tenuta Luce helps bridge Brunello, Super Tuscan and luxury Italian categories. Lucente can support premium restaurant lists, Luce provides a flagship by-bottle or allocation wine, and Luce Brunello fills a classic Montalcino role from the same estate.
