Tenuta Luce releases the 2024 vintage of its Lucente red wine

Tenuta Luce released its 2024 vintage of Lucente, offering a Toscana Igt red wine positioned as the entry point to the estate’s portfolio, ilgiornale.it reported. The release comes from the Montalcino property originally founded in the early 1990s through a partnership between Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi. Produced at an annual volume of approximately 400,000 bottles, Lucente uses Merlot as its primary grape in a roughly three-to-one blend with Sangiovese.

Mild winter and gentle extractions shape 2024 vintage

The 2024 production benefited from a mild winter that triggered early budburst, establishing what the estate described as a nearly ideal growing season marked by minimal pressure from downy mildew. Winemaker Alessandro Marini, who trained in Bordeaux and has led the estate’s oenology since 2020, favored early harvests and gentle extractions for the vintage. This method prioritizes freshness and balance over heavy power, shaping a wine built on aromas of cherry, raspberry, plum, and violet, complemented by sweet spices and a subtle touch of cedar.

Unlike wines created from selection discards, Lucente is crafted from dedicated estate vineyards chosen specifically to yield a fruit-forward and approachable profile. The wine undergoes a standard 12-month maturation process inside French oak barriques, utilizing roughly 20 percent new wood alongside 80 percent second- and third-pass barrels. On the palate, the 2024 expression delivers fine tannins, prominent red fruit characteristics, and a lively acidity.

Roots of the Supertuscan Movement in Val d’Orcia

The estate sits across 249 total hectares, with 92 hectares under vine, nestled among woods and olive groves in the Val d’Orcia territory southwest of Montalcino. Vineyard elevations range between 280 and 418 meters, featuring stark soil transitions tied to altitude: schist formations dominate the highest points, clay-mixed soils sit below, and the intermediate band contains yellow sands and sandstone. Sangiovese claims the higher schist elevations, while Merlot occupies the lower sandy-clay parcels, with southern exposures and diurnal temperature shifts preserving aromatic complexity.

Tenuta Luce traces its origins to Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi joining forces in the early 1990s to challenge traditional Montalcino rules by combining Sangiovese and Merlot to establish the concept of a Supertuscan. Lamberto Frescobaldi took over project leadership in 2005, and the Frescobaldi family eventually brought the entire operation under their sole ownership. The estate acquired its permanent headquarters property in 2016, outfitting the site with a largely subterranean winery that houses the historic Collezione Luce cellar and uses a radiant sun motif drawn from Florence’s Basilica of Santo Spirito.