Tenuta Luce Lucente
Tenuta Luce della Vite Tenuta Luce Lucente
2023
Lucente is the second wine of Tenuta Luce della Vite, expressing the estate's Super Tuscan philosophy through a refined Sangiovese-Merlot blend that balances Tuscan elegance with international appeal and accessible character.
Country
Italy
Region
Tuscany
More information
Producer
Established in 1995, Tenuta Luce represents an ambitious meeting of Tuscan tradition and international winemaking vision, uniting the centuries-old expertise of the Frescobaldi family with the California innovation of Robert Mondavi. The estate is located on the southwestern slopes of Montalcino, where vineyards planted to Sangiovese and Merlot occupy prime sites between 350 and 420 metres above sea level. Its wines—most notably the flagship Luce della Vite—express a bold vision of Montalcino terroir shaped through a modern, Bordeaux-influenced lens.
Quick Facts
- Location: Southwestern slopes of Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
- Founded: 1995
- Founding partners: Frescobaldi family and Robert Mondavi
- Current ownership: Frescobaldi family
- Appellation: Toscana IGT
- Principal grapes: Sangiovese and Merlot
- Vineyard elevation: 350 to 420 metres above sea level
- Soils: Clay-limestone
- Grand Vin: Luce della Vite
- Second wine: Lucente
- Style: Super Tuscan, structured and refined with Sangiovese backbone and Merlot richness
- Viticulture: Sustainable vineyard management with meticulous parcel selection
- Ageing potential: 10 to 20 years
A Transatlantic Partnership in Montalcino
Tenuta Luce was conceived as a collaboration between two influential wine families from opposite sides of the Atlantic. The Frescobaldi family brought seven centuries of winemaking heritage in Tuscany, while Robert Mondavi contributed a pioneering approach shaped by decades of innovation in Napa Valley.
The partnership sought to create wines that honoured Montalcino's Sangiovese tradition while embracing the structure and depth associated with international varieties. This vision led to the estate's distinctive focus on blending Sangiovese with Merlot—a practice uncommon in Montalcino but central to the identity of Tuscany's Super Tuscan movement.
Following Mondavi's passing, the Frescobaldi family assumed full ownership while maintaining the estate's founding philosophy of combining terroir expression with modern winemaking clarity.
Vineyards Shaped by Elevation and Limestone
The estate's vineyards occupy carefully selected sites on Montalcino's southwestern slopes, where elevations ranging from 350 to 420 metres create conditions suited to both Sangiovese and Merlot. Clay-limestone soils provide structure and minerality, while the site's exposure ensures warm days tempered by cool nocturnal temperatures that preserve aromatic complexity and natural acidity.
Parcel selection plays a defining role. Sangiovese is planted on sites that emphasise tension, freshness and the variety's characteristic bright acidity. Merlot occupies warmer exposures where the clay component supports ripeness, concentration and a rounded, velvety texture. This deliberate distribution allows each variety to ripen fully while retaining balance and elegance.
Sustainable viticulture and meticulous canopy management ensure that fruit reaches the cellar with the purity and definition required for long ageing.
Luce della Vite and the Estate's Expression
Luce della Vite is the estate's flagship wine and a powerful expression of Montalcino terroir filtered through a Bordeaux-inspired blending philosophy. Typically composed of approximately equal proportions of Sangiovese and Merlot, the wine combines Sangiovese's structure, acidity and savoury complexity with Merlot's richness, body and smooth tannins.
Ageing takes place in French oak barriques, followed by extended bottle maturation before release. The result is a wine of concentration and depth, built to evolve gracefully over 10 to 20 years. Over time, Luce della Vite develops layered complexity, tertiary aromatics and a more seamless integration of fruit, oak and terroir.
Lucente, the estate's second wine, offers a more approachable interpretation of the same philosophy. It shares the blend's essential character but is crafted for earlier accessibility, presenting fresh fruit purity alongside refinement and balance.
Country
Region
Tuscany
Tuscany is widely regarded as Italy's most prestigious wine region and has established itself as one of the world's great fine wine destinations. Located in central Italy, the region combines centuries of winemaking heritage with diverse terroir, producing some of the most collectible and age-worthy wines in the country. From historic Chianti estates to the acclaimed Super Tuscans, Tuscany represents the pinnacle of Italian winemaking tradition and innovation.
The region's diverse landscape encompasses rolling hills, varied elevations and distinct soil types that create ideal conditions for Sangiovese, Tuscany's signature grape. The Chianti Classico zone between Florence and Siena is characterised by galestro and alberese soils, producing elegant, structured wines with exceptional ageing potential. Montalcino's warmer climate and clay-limestone soils yield the powerful Brunello, while Montepulciano's volcanic and sandy terrains create the distinguished Vino Nobile. The coastal Bolgheri area, with maritime influence and alluvial soils, has become renowned for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot-based Super Tuscans that challenge Bordeaux's finest.
Tuscany is home to legendary estates including Antinori, Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Biondi-Santi, Fontodi and Castello di Ama. The region's DOCG classifications—Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico—represent the highest quality standards in Italian wine. These estates and appellations continue to define excellence in Sangiovese production while pioneering innovative blends that have reshaped the international fine wine landscape.
Whether exploring historic Chianti Classico, the refined elegance of Brunello or benchmark Super Tuscans, Tuscany offers an extraordinary journey through Italy's finest wine heritage. Discover Tuscany wines, compare prices from trusted merchants across Europe and find the best offers with Sipfind.
Grapes
Merlot is one of the world’s most important red wine grapes, celebrated for its generous fruit, supple texture and ability to produce wines ranging from approachable and elegant to exceptionally complex and long-lived. Originating in Bordeaux, France, Merlot is particularly associated with the Right Bank, where it forms the foundation of many of the prestigious wines of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion.
Merlot typically expresses flavours and aromas of plum, black cherry, blackberry and red fruits, often developing notes of chocolate, tobacco, cedar, herbs and earthy complexity with maturation. Its naturally rounded texture and generally softer tannin profile distinguish it from Cabernet Sauvignon, although the finest examples can possess considerable structure, freshness and ageing potential.
In Pomerol, Merlot reaches some of its most celebrated expressions, particularly on the appellation’s clay-rich soils, producing wines of remarkable concentration, texture and complexity. In Saint-Émilion, it is commonly blended with Cabernet Franc and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, creating wines that combine ripe fruit with structure, aromatic complexity and longevity.
Beyond Bordeaux, Merlot is widely cultivated in Italy, California, Washington State, Chile and other major wine regions. It can be produced as a varietal wine or used as a central component of blends, where its fruit and texture complement more structured grape varieties.
From the great Merlot-based wines of Bordeaux’s Right Bank to leading expressions around the world, Merlot’s combination of rich fruit, refined texture and capacity to express terroir has established it as one of the defining varieties of fine red wine.
History and Style
Tenuta Luce Lucente is the second wine of Tenuta Luce della Vite, a celebrated estate born from the partnership between the Frescobaldi family and Mondavi in Montalcino. This Sangiovese-Merlot blend offers an approachable expression of the Super Tuscan philosophy that made the flagship Luce famous, crafted from younger vines and carefully selected parcels that complement the Grand Vin.
Quick Facts
- Producer: Tenuta Luce della Vite
- Classification: Super Tuscan (Toscana IGT)
- Region: Tuscany
- Appellation: Toscana IGT
- Country: Italy
- Style: Medium to full-bodied Super Tuscan red blend
- Grape Composition: Sangiovese-Merlot blend (proportions vary by vintage, typically 60-70% Sangiovese)
- Ageing Potential: 5-10 years from vintage
- Alcohol (ABV): 13.5-14%
- Tasting Profile: Red cherry, plum, blackberry, Mediterranean herbs, spice, cedar, integrated oak
- Food Pairing: Grilled meats, pasta with ragu, roasted lamb, aged Pecorino, game dishes
- Serving Temperature: 16-18°C
- Bottle Status: Second Wine
- Vintage: Varies by vintage (multi-vintage production)
Vineyard, Terroir and Style
The estate's vineyards benefit from Montalcino's distinctive terroir, where limestone-rich soils, elevation and diurnal temperature variation create ideal conditions for both Sangiovese and international varieties. Lucente captures this sense of place while offering earlier accessibility than its older sibling, representing a more immediate and expressive style that showcases ripe fruit alongside classic Tuscan elegance.
History and Reputation
The wine typically displays vibrant red and dark fruit aromas with hints of Mediterranean herbs, spice and subtle oak integration. On the palate, Lucente combines the freshness and acidity of Sangiovese with the roundness and plush texture that Merlot brings, creating a harmonious blend with approachable tannins and medium to full body. The style balances tradition with modernity, offering refined structure suitable for near-term enjoyment while maintaining the quality and character expected from this prestigious estate.
Whether discovering Super Tuscan wines or seeking an elegant expression of Montalcino terroir, Lucente delivers exceptional value and quality. Compare prices across premium retailers on Sipfind to find the best offer on this distinguished second wine.