Photo courtesy of Tenuta Luce

Luce della Vite ‘Luce’ is one of the most under-appreciated Super-Tuscans that has undergone a slow and quiet transformation over the years to be one of the most consistent Sangiovese blends on the market today. 

The reality is this is one of the most trusted and reliable wines for the money out of Tuscany in the Super-Tuscan IGT category. Hailing from vineyards in Montalcino adjacent to the Frescobaldi’s historic Brunello estate, Castelgiocondo. Luce dell Vite was a property co-developed by the Frescobaldi and Mondavi families. Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi ventured to make a Super-Tuscan to compete with Chianti’s Antinori family. Tim Mondavi and Lamberto Frescobaldi oversaw the projects and today Luce della Vite is run solely by Lamberto Frescobaldi and his team. Since the first vintage of 1993, Luce has evolved and in 2004 Luce became a true singular expression of one vineyard and one place. 

The results have been marvelous. The focus and energy of the wine has been harnessed and the blend has stabilized to a consistent focus on Sangiovese and Merlot. This is a wine that has a richness and depth that is impressive yet not overbearing. Luce is a wine that is irresistible upon release but one that improves incredibly over time. It is the balance of immediate indulgence vs. cellaring that makes Luce della Vite so compelling - especially for the price compared to the other bigger names of the category.  Furthermore, the cultivation of the Merlot at Luce has benefited immensely from the experience that the Frescobaldi team has garnered from their Bolgheri estates of Ornellaia and Masseto.

Luce della Vite compared to Tignanello for instance. Luce is darker in fruit personality and presents a bit more texture on the mid-palate. The backbone of the wine presents more Sangiovese tannin rather than oak influences and unfolds to reveal abundant layers of complexity of fruit, spice and savoriness. 

I guess the one thing that Luce does remind me of Tignanello is the price, but beyond that Luce is Luce, through and through and one of the greatest non-traditional wines of Montalcino and Tuscany.

Cheers,
Jeremy