Luce della Vite - Light of the Vine - is the joint venture between Robert Mondavi of California and Marchesi de Frescobaldi of Italy. Since its first vintage in 1995, Lucente (Lu-CHEN-teh) has reflected the philosophy of blending the best Sangiovese and Merlot grapes from Tuscanys finest vineyards, to create a unique wine able to express the great winemaking potential of this region. In the words of the winemakers, Lamberto Frescobaldi and Tim Mondavi, "The 1997 Lucente is a voluminous, round, elegant wine that offers a perfect interpretation of this great vintage. The color is a deep ruby red with darker tones and luminous reflections. The bouquet shows great intensity of ripe fruit, with clean and attractive aromas of dark cherries, dried plums, soft spices and a hint of vanilla. On the palate the wine is warm, with well balanced acidity, excellent fruit density and polished, sweet tannins."