When Vittorio Frescobaldi met Robert Mondavi in the early 90s, a new chapter in the history of the great Tuscan wines was written. From that meeting, a wine came to life inspired by the desire to make a dream come true: to create a wine in Montalcino, a land of choice for the production of excellent wines, that went beyond the boundaries of tradition, while acknowledging and celebrating it, by treasuring the experiences of two historic families in the world of wine. This ambitious project took the name of Tenuta Luce, a name that evokes the sunlight of Montalcino, which is the source of life and nourishment, and marks the passage of the seasons and sets the pace for any and every agricultural activity. Since then, Tenuta Luce has always honoured this vision and the symbolic wine of the Tenuta, Luce, has been joined by other exclusive wines, capable of going beyond the boundaries of their territory and earning unanimous approval nationally and internationally.
Tenuta Luce’s vineyards are a true mosaic of different exposures, variety of soils and altitudes – ranging from 280 at 418 meters above sea level. The soils are schistose in the upper range, mixed-clayey in the lower one, rich in yellow sands and sandstones in the central belt. The altitude and southern exposure of the estate’s vineyards support a slow and complete ripening of the grapes producing wines of impressive structure and elegance. Cool, breezy nights help preserve the aromatic profile of Sangiovese and Merlot.
The grapes are harvested parcel by parcel to ensure the perfect ripeness is achieved. The selection of the grapes is followed by the fermentation process with indigenous yeasts and the soft pressing. Special cement, tulip-shaped, vats are used for the fermentation. The wine is then aged in French oak barriques for 2 years, 80% of which are new and 20% one year old.
The months of January and February were particularly mild and dry. This condition led to an early budding of the vines starting from the second week of March for Sangiovese and from the third week for Merlot. Spring then saw warm weather with rainfall mainly in May, favouring the course of an excellent flowering that took place slightly earlier, around the last week of the month, followed by rapid fruit set. The first three weeks of June were affected by the presence of rainfall, which helped prepare the plants for the summer season, which was hot
with few rains. In the last week of August, two very important rains brought relief to the plants and lowered temperatures, creating ideal conditions to complete the ripening of the grapes.
Harvesting began for Merlot on the 3rd of September; the grapes were in excellent health and ripeness, with great aromatic potential, due in part to the temperature swings between night and day that had occurred in the days before the harvest. While for Sangiovese harvest began on September 16 and continued until the end of the month.
Intense ruby red in colour, Luce 2020 stands out on the nose for its complexity and elegance, characterized by ripe black fruits, particularly blackberry and mulberry, which are joined by hints of cocoa and sweet spices. On the palate it is harmonious, lively, with excellent structure, balanced by vibrant acidity and soft, silky tannins that give an elegant finish with great persistence.
97 points, James Suckling
50% Merlot
50% Sangiovese
cork
14.5%
