TENUTA LUCE | Luce della Vite | Brunello di Montalcino | 2019
sangiovese

© We will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss our reviews. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations. We hope you will enjoy it!

When Vittorio Frescobaldi met Robert Mondavi, two giants in the world of wine, they gave life to a new chapter in the history of great wines of Tuscany. Soon afterwards, in 1995, a wine inspired by the desire to make a dream come true was born – the famous Luce. This ambitious project was later named Luce della Vite – a name that evoked the sunny climate of the Montalcino wine region and the light of the sun – a source of life and nourishment. Their philosophy was focuses on combining traditional methods with modern winemaking techniques in order to create high-quality wines that reflect Tuscany’s unique terroir.
Today we are going to review a wine that we were eager to try for quite some time, ever since we have tasted it at the ‘A Matter of Taste‘ event, organized by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in Zürich – Luce della Vite Brunello di Montalcino 2019 by Tenuta Luce. This is a 100% sangiovese wine, made of grapes sourced from the renowned Madonnino vineyard in the Brunello di Montalcino sub-region of Tsocana. Of the 92 hectares of vineyards owned by Luce della Vite there, 11 hectares are registered in the ‘Albo del Brunello di Montalcino’ classification – this is where the sangiovese grapes for this wine are sourced from. The winemaking process emphasizes minimal intervention, with fermentation in concrete tanks and aging in traditional for this region, Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, followed by additional bottle ageing time before the wine was deemed ready for the market release.

Until relatively recently, sangiovese was considered to be a grape in the wilderness – rustic, delicate and savory, and whenever the name sangiovese would appear on a label, it was far from a guarantee of quality. But sangiovese is and has always been the dominant red grape of Italy. Today, sangiovese is a true chameleon – effortlessly adapting to each particular terroir where it is planted. In that sense, it can vary as much as pinot noir in its sensitivity to the place it is grown in, and like pinot noir, it ripens relatively late. This means that if it is planted in a cooler climate, sangiovese can produce wines that are dangerously tart and even green, but when ideal growing conditions are met (mainly high diurnal range and a prolonged growing season), the sangiovese grape variety is capable to produce wines that would lead you into the realm of perfection. With numerous mutations spread all over Italy, this versatile grape variety can create wines with strikingly diverse flavor profiles: from the delicate and floral Montefalco Rosso wines, to the bold and tannic wines of Brunello di Montalcino. The one thing that the sangiovese grape variety cannot hide is its flavour profile, but now that the right clones have been identified and are increasingly popular, the sangiovese grape variety is allowed to shine in all its glory, and it is beautiful.

The Toscana region has long boasted an impressive reputation in the world of great wines, earning its prestige as one of the most promising and creative production areas in the world of wine as a result of a number of forward-thinking producers that experimented with international grape varieties modern winemaking techniques. It is home to some of the world’s most famous wines known as ‘Super Tuscan‘.

Brunello di Montalcino classification is set in south-east of Tuscany, and is characterized by its hilly terrain and varying altitudes (up to 600 meters above sea level). The soils here are well-drained, with a mix of clay and schist, enabling robust root growth and providing the much desired local terroir notes, that the sangiovese grape variety is famous for. The region’s climactic shifts, with high diurnal range between day and night temperature, further enhance flavor retention, contributing to the elegance and longevity of the Brunello di Montalcino wines.

Brunello di Montalcino’s wines cannot be released until the 5th year post harvest. Stylistically, there are two schools of thought applied to the ageing of the Brunello di Montalcino wines: the traditional philosophy, where producers use large, Slavonian oak barrels (called botte) that impart very little oak flavours into the final wine and are used simply as vessels to encourage tertiary flavor development through microoxigenation, and the modern philosophy, where producers use mostly new, small French barrels (called barriques) that add more oak flavours into the wine and encourage the development of baking spice flavors, and because oxygen exposure increases due to oak-to-wine surface area, these Brunello di Montalcino wines will often be ready to drink sooner than traditional method wines.

color: medium-deep garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades at the rim

In the glass, the wine displays a medium-deep garnet color with hazy garnet shades at the rim – a clear tell sign of the sangiovese grape variety.

intensity: pronounced & vibrant
fruit character: ripe

On the first nose, this wine presents a pronounced and vibrant aromatic profile. The nose bursts forth with ripe berry fruits, including red plums, cherries, blackberries, and pomegranate seeds, alongside hints of oak-derived notes of tobacco and cloves. The bouquet is further enhanced by a subtle spice element with nutmeg and anise, complemented by earth undertones, reminiscent of marl and granite, with a touch of delicate floral undertones, reminiscent of violets and lavender.

sweetness: dry | acidity: high | alcohol: high | tannin: high | balance: fine
finish: long | aftertaste: crisp & seedy

On the palate, this wine feels rich and expressive, marked by a dry profile. Its vibrancy is balanced with mouth-watering acidity and a well-integrated touch of alcoholic warmth, while ripe and grippy tannins lend structure and complexity. The texture is seedy and the finish is crisp, leaving a lingering sensation of finesse and depth.

maturity: developing | drink now or age for another 3 to 5 years
verdict: great | a must try wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

Overall, this Brunello di Montalcino stands out as a quintessential sangiovese-based wine with its vibrant aromatic profile and harmonious structure. While still developing, it can either be enjoyed today or aged for another 3 to 5 years, but remember that it is better to drink a wine a year to soon than a day too late.

TENUTA LUCE | Luce della Vite | Brunello di Montalcino | 2019
variety: sangiovese
country: Italy | Toscana
region: Brunello di Montalcino
rating: 95.7

Consider pairing this wine with rustic dishes such as a classic osso buco with gremolata or a rich mushroom risotto that would complement the wine’s earthy and savory notes, while the acidity in the wine would balance the fat-rich textures of the dish, resulting in a delightful wine tasting experience.

Tenuta Luce is not only known for its outstanding wines but also for being part of an area recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The estate is committed to sustainable practices, preserving the biodiversity of its vineyards and surrounding lands. Luce della Vite Brunello di Montalcino was the first wine in Italy to achieve, in 1980, the Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) classification.

© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation. Cheers!