Frescobaldi - Tenuta Luce della Vite : Luce 2019

The Tenuta Luce 2019 Brunello di Montalcino carries a good amount of oak spice with campfire ash, forest floor, dried cherry, cassis, rye bread and something floral like a hydrangea or pressed rose. There is a balsamic note as well with Sambuca or aniseed. This is a medium- to full-bodied Brunello (with 35,000 bottles made) that shows dried fruit flavors and a substantial 15% alcohol pull on the lengthy finish.

Ripe and opulent, this red is packed with black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors, grabbing your attention from the first sip. Vibrant and solidly built, with notes of wild thyme, earth and sweet spices, this shows terrific balance and length, remaining fresh and juicy on the finish. Best from 2027 through 2043. 4,167 cases made, 250 cases imported.

Fragrant and floral on the nose, with lots of crushed rose petals and violet scents. Extremely high acidity meets quite intense tannins that have a touch of dryness. This has some character and an initial burst of brightness, but the frame takes over and it becomes a little restricted towards the finish. Tight and tense, streamlined but with ripe fruit and some overt alcohol. Feels a little old school.

Black cherries and blueberries with walnut and lavender undertones. Medium body with very fine tannins that run the length of the wine and caress every inch of your palate. Fresh and vivid. A wine for the cellar, but already fantastic to taste. Best after 2027.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Luce takes its time opening in the glass, dark and imposing, as a brooding mix of savory herbs, crushed stone and red currants form its bouquet. This is silky smooth, nearly creamy in feel, with cooling acidity and polished red fruits that swirl under an air of rosy inner florals. The 2019 tapers off classically dry and structured with crunchy tannins as hints of lavender and exotic spice resonate on. A beautifully balanced rendition of Luce.

A dark magenta/red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is an opulent wine, with aromas of boysenberry preserve, vanilla bean, toasted cedar, fresh leather, and crushed rosemary. Full-bodied and mouth-filling, it retains lovely purity throughout while being a flashier style, with sweet tannins and a long finish. It’s an impressive wine for this style, which I personally don't normally gravitate toward, but this one makes a solid argument. It has a great deal of complexity and longevity ahead of it. Drink 2026-2046.

This is the best of the three Luce wines in the March Releases lineup, delivering enticing fragrance and beautifully juicy tannins, with both flexibility and grip. Loads of lift, with the dry underbrush, fennel and leather of Brunello combined with savoury sour cherry fruit and sweeter brambly blackberry and pomegranate. A great example of the beauty of Brunello Sangiovese in the excellent 2019 vintage. 2 years in bottle, 2 years in Slovenian oak barrels.