Tenuta Luce

Lucente 2018

Toscana IGT

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Lucente is the second wine of Luce, a wine with contemporary style, immediate and great pleasure, and like its elder sibling, an authentic interpretation of Montalcino and the Luce estate.

After the first strict selection of the very best grapes for Luce, the next selection is used for Lucente and is often coming from the younger vineyards planted in the Luce estate. Lucente represents a more approachable expression of the estate’s unique terroir.

Vineyard

The Luce estate covers 615 acres, 217 of which are planted with Sangiovese and Merlot. The estate is in the southwest of Montalcino, at one of the highest elevation points, and south/southwest facing; the freshness and structure that result play in tension with the deep, perfectly ripe fruit. Higher elevation planting have sandstone and limestone, and are ideal for Sangiovese. Clay in the lower altitude vineyards is perfect for the powerful expression of Merlot.

Winemaking

The two varietals that go into creating Lucente are harvested at slightly different times: the Merlot is picked during the first week of September, while the Sangiovese is harvested the third week of September. The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for 10 days and does an additional 20 days of skin maceration. The wins is aged in part new, part re-used wooden barriques for 12 months before bottling.

Vintage

The 2018 season was characterized, both in the winter and spring, by higher than normal rainfall, which supported the accumulation of much needed underground water reserves after the drought of the previous year.

A damp spring with medium to high temperatures ensured a homogeneous vegetative development to the Sangiovese and Merlot grapes. The additional rains during the flowering phased slowed-down the fruit set, naturally lowering the production load of the plants.

The summer season was favoured by an even and regular climate with little rainfall and no overly high temperature, which contributed to rapid veraison of the grapes. The temperature differences between day and night in September, coupled with the northern winds, promoted a magnificent aromatic evolution in the ripening of the grapes.

Tasting Note

The wine is an intense and bright red color. The nose opens with intense fruity hints of blackberry, plum and currant, enriched by toasted and vanilla nuances. On the palate it is full and enveloping, soft and elegant, with a persistent finish that displays a pleasantly sweet and fruity aftertaste.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Merlot, Sangiovese

Appellation

Toscana IGT

Alcohol

14.5%

Suggested Retail Price

$30.00

Reviews

"Enjoyable and unfussy"

Decanter - March 16, 2021 "Bright cherry red with touches of sour cherry on the attack, opening up to raspberry and blackberry. High acidity makes it naturally mouthwatering and sappy with a smoky balance on the finish. This is enjoyable and unfussy, begging for food. Certified organic since 2015."

"Fresh and nuanced"

Vinous - July 12, 2021 "The 2018 La Vite Lucente is bright, fresh and wonderfully perfumed. Sweet dark cherry, plum, mocha, lavender and wild flowers all run through this gracious, mid-weight red. Fresh and nuanced, the 2018 is a big departure from the wines of a few years ago. The purity of the fruit here is striking." - A.G.

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Trade Materials

Other Wines by this Producer

Luce

Luce is a singular and irresistible expression of Montalcino, a Super Tuscan with an exotic and some would say decadent side. The spectacular estate's diversity of soils, expositions and biodiversity of olive groves and forests come together in a wine as vibrant and exciting as a landscape.

Brunello di Montalcino

Luce Brunello is the winery’s tribute to Montalcino and the wine that emerged there in the second half of the 19th century to become one of Italy's crowning jewels in wine production. It is produced in a very small quantity to showcase the unique character of a pure Sangiovese from the Luce estate vineyards and pay tribute to the winemaking tradition of Montalcino.