Lucente 2020

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.

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 10 days and does an additional 20 days of skin maceration. The wine is aged in part new, part re-used wooden barriques for 12 months before bottling.

Winter was mainly dry and mild leading to an early but homogeneous budding of the plants
starting from the second week of March for Sangiovese and from the third week for Merlot.
Spring was sunny, accompanied by some rains in May and June, favoring the course of an
excellent flowering, which took place slightly earlier in the last week of May. Summer was hot and dry with good temperature ranges between day and night. In the last week of August, two very precious rains brought relief to the plants and lowered temperatures, allowing the vines to complete grape ripening. The harvest began on the third of September in ideal conditions, with sunny days without heat peaks. These conditions resulted in grapes of excellent quality, with excellent phenolic ripeness and great aromatic balance

Lucente 2020 shows a brilliant ruby red color. The nose is rich in black fruits such as blueberries and blackberries, accompanied by a light balsamic and pan brioché note. The palate is soft supported by a nice freshness, with enveloping tannins and a long fruity aftertaste.