Winemaker Notes
In 2010, the spring season was marked by frequent rainstorms that challenged the winegrowers in managing the vineyard and maintaining the grapes healthy, but also replenished the groundwater reserves. The summer months experienced a rather even alternation of decent rains and sunny days. September brought ideal conditions, with cool nights and warm, bright days right through to the end of the harvest. The final result was that the vines performed splendidly, and the fruit arrived in the cellar with optimal ripeness levels. Dark garnet red in color, Luce Brunello 2010 boasts a bouquet that is elegant and refined, yet remarkably dense, releasing a complex mosaic of sweet violet, blueberry, blackcurrant, and black liquorice, accompanied by pungent impressions of rosemary blossoms. Subtle notes of toasted oak crown this rich aromatic display. That same elegance is in full evidence on the palate, complemented by impressive depth and a masterfullycrafted structure. Velvety tannins offer perfect support during the wine’s progression into a very lengthy finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very powerful aromas of blackberry, fresh mushroom, iron, spice and lightly grilled meat. Full body with layers of fruit and earth character. Decadent and intense. It's a phenomenal wine. Incredibly layered and muscular. Better than the legendary 2006? Built for aging. Better in 2018.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Luce della Vite Brunello di Montalcino is a dark and impenetrable wine that oozes intensity and impressive opulence. This is one of those Brunello wines that takes Sangiovese to the outer limits of concentration at the outer edge of space and then flings it back down to us earthlings to enjoy. Given the softness and the textural richness, it's safe to predict that this wine will drink well in both the near and long term. It has that unique aging flexibility. Only the tannins, mostly oak tannins by the taste of them, need additional softening and finessing that should occur with extra cellar aging. There's a touch of bitter astringency as well that is distracting. By the taste of it, the 2010 Luce is the biggest and most extracted Brunello in 2010.
The history of tenuta Luce starts in the early Nieneties when Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert mondavi chose Montalcino, a land known for its vocation for viticulture, and decided to join their experiences and start a visionary project: to make a wine that would go beyond the borders of tradition, but without denying it. Right from the start, they were supported by their respective sons, Lamberto and Tim, both young oenologists.
The experience acquired since the Seventies with the vineyards of Merlot planted in these plots, and the knowledge of their expressive uniqueness proved to be essential. Luce, the wine from which it all began, was concieved as the harmonious meeting point between the elegance and the structure of Sangiovese, the local native varietal, and the roundness of Merlot.
Luce’s first harversts, in 1993 and 1994, were presented together in 1997, immediately stimulating curiosity and interest.
The project continued to grow, developing over the years: two acquisitions between 2001 and 2016, new vineyards, new challenges. In 2005, when the join venture with Mondavi ended, Lamberto Frescobaldi took the helm, directing the production.Other wines, over the years, joined Luce: in 1998 Lucente was presented, the second wine of Tenuta Luce. In 2003 Luce Brunello was born. Finally, with the 2015 harvest, Lux Vitis came to life.
At the core of Tenuta Luce's philosophy is the idea that wine should be the most natural expression of the lands where it is produced and the grapes from which it is obtained: the result of a perfect balance between grape variety and territory. Each human intervention takes place in a minimal and non-invasive form, with the main objective of protecting this harmony.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.