The 2020 vintage shows harmony and balance, a classic expression of the equilibrium between grape and terroir, at the cornerstone of Tenuta Luce’s philosophy
Montalcino, April 20th, 2023 – Tenuta Luce, one of the most iconic Italian estates, is thrilled to announce the release of the latest vintage of Luce, the winery’s flagship label. The new 2020 vintage is a classic expression of the delicate balance between grape and terroir, nature and human expertise, which has always been the cornerstone of Luce’s philosophy.
A marriage of exceptional Merlot and Sangiovese grapes grown in quality-selected vineyards, Luce 2020 constitutes a benchmark interpretation of the terroir in Montalcino, a homage to the golden sun whose rays shine bright over the hills of Montalcino. Comprising 249 hectares of extraordinary biodiversity in the heart of the Val d’Orcia Natural Park, Tenuta Luce is a truly privileged place, where the harmony of all these components is respected and protected.
“Its intense ruby red colour anticipates its complexity and elegance on the nose, reminiscent of wild berries, such as blackberry and mulberry, lifted by hints of dark cocoa powder and sweet spices,” commented the winemaker Alessandro Marini. “The palate is harmonious and vibrant, impressively well-structured, showing a beautiful balance and lively acidity, with supple, silk-like tannins that give power to an ultra-elegant and near-endless finish.”
The Merlot and Sangiovese grapes that make up the 2020 vintage were hand-picked in September, and musts were fermented separately in tulip-shaped, concrete vats for 12 days at 28oC. The wine macerated on the skins for 22 days, and spent 24 months in barriques, 80% new and 20% one year old.
2020 GROWING SEASON
January and February were particularly mild and dry. These conditions contributed to an early budbreak, which started in the second week of March for Sangiovese and in the third week for Merlot. Spring was characterized by warm temperatures, along with rain, especially in May, which encouraged an outstanding, slightly early, flowering later in the month, followed by a rapid fruit set. The first three weeks of June featured numerous rainfalls, which enabled the vines to cope well with the following summer heat with no rainfall at all. The last week of August saw two heavy rainstorms, which lowered the temperatures and brought relief to the vines, creating ideal conditions for completing the ripening process. The harvest began on September 3rd for Merlot, and clusters were sound, healthy, and optimally ripe, with impressive aromatic power, thanks partly to the significant diurnal temperature variations in the days leading up to harvest. Picking of Sangiovese started on September 16th and lasted until the end of the month.
About Tenuta Luce
Tenuta Luce lies southwest of the town of Montalcino, in the heart of the Val d’Orcia Natural Park, a rural landscape sensitively re-designed by man in the pre-Renaissance era and declared by UNESCO in 2004 a World Heritage Site. This extraordinary corner of earth, historically renowned for its world-class wines, hosts the 249 hectares of the Luce wine estate, set among woods and olive groves, with 88 hectares of vineyards: a lightly inhabited, near-pristine environment rich in biodiversity. Its beneficial sunlight and well-ventilated conditions, gift of its unique exposure, and its diversity of soils at different elevations all combine to make Tenuta Luce a truly privileged place, where the harmony of all these components is respected and protected. That respect is reflected in the winemaking as well, where each process of production is performed with meticulous care, in order to preserve the harmony achieved in the vineyard. The fruits of this enlightened philosophy and unique terroir are Tenuta Luce wines Luce, Lucente, Luce Brunello, and Lux Vitis, the culmination of an ambitious project begun in the early 1990s aimed at obtaining the fullest expression of the Montalcino territory yet with an utterly distinctive individual style. www.tenutaluce.com
