Tenuta Luce
Lucente 2015
Toscana IGT
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 12 days and does an additional 22 days of skin maceration. The wins is aged in part new, part re-used wooden barriques for 12 months before bottling.
Vintage
The Sangiovese and Merlot grapevines began sprouting during the first week of April, and contin-ued to grow regularly thanks to the significant water reserves deposited in 2014 and an average rainfall in 2015. The growing season continued with a dry and sunny climate which favored a healthy development of the leaves. During the first week of August, two significant rain showers brought much needed respite to the plants, allowing the grapevines to synthesize secondary metabolites (aromas, anthocyanins and tannins) in the best possible circumstances, which is key in the production of quality wines.
In the mouth the wine is juicy, soft and enveloping with fine and intense tannins and an incredibly long finish.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Merlot, Sangiovese
Appellation
Toscana IGT
Suggested Retail Price
$30.00
Reviews
"generous texture and a polished finish"
James Suckling - August 31, 2018 "This has delicious undertones of sage and thyme that highlight ripe yet refined notes of strawberries, red cherries and darker blackcurrants. Full body, a dense, generous texture and a polished finish.”
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.
