Luce Brunello di Montalcino 2018

Presenting a very bright and compact ruby red color, the wine’s nose is concentrated with notes of red fruits, mainly morello cherry, ripe red orange and spices. On the palate, the wine is rich and enveloping, with a beautiful tension that enhances the perfectly integrated tannic texture. The finish fascinates for its great flavor and long persistence. A wine of extraordinary integrity, with great aging potential.

The 2018 vintage was characterized by a mild and relatively dry winter, which supported an early budding phase. The sudden drop in temperatures at the end of April, which involved various areas of Tuscany, did not generate any problems for the vineyards, thanks to their high altitude positioning. Subsequently, the period between May and August was characterized by very few rains and intense heat, which limited the vegetative development of the plants and reduced the size of the grape clusters. The rains of early September gave some relief to the plants in the grapes’ final ripening step, resulting in an earlier harvest by about 10 days. The grapes were healthy with small bunches featuring very concentrated polyphenols and tannins due to the skin/juice ratio favoring the skins.

Luce Brunello is the estate’s tribute to one of Italy’s crowning jewels of wine production. Of the 217 acres of vineyards at Luce, 27 are are officially listed in the Register for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. It is an exquisitely balanced wine, gentle and yet powerful, and is produced in very small quantities to showcase the unique character of a pure Sangiovese from the estate and to pay tribute to the tradition of winemaking excellence in Montalcino