Luce Brunello di Montalcino 2014
96 pts Wine Spectator :
This shows so much intensity and complexity from the get-go with a bouquet exploding with blackberries, blackcurrants, ivy, iodine, treacle and forest floor elements. Full body, tight yet generous tannins, effortless acidity and a powerful, long finish. A triumph in a challenging vintage.
93 pts Wine Advocate:
The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino Luce definitely holds its own. I was a little surprised to see that the Frescobaldi family opted to make this top-end Brunello in such a difficult vintage. Now that I have the sample before me I can clearly see the confidence required to make such a difficult choice. In fact, I'm not even sure I would get that this wine was from 2014 in a blind tasting. It delivers ripe and round fruit flavors of blackberry and plum, along with significant 15.5% alcohol and thick extraction that defies everything we know about 2014. There is a lot of power and grit at the core of this opulent Brunello. Some 25,000 bottles were made.
93 pts Falstaff (Mar 2019):
Powerful, bright ruby. Very much fresh and juicy cherry, some blackberry, appealing. Juicy and round also on the palate, fine-meshed, vivid tannin, vivid, fresh fruit, persistent and long, fun.
Luce della Vite在意大利文中即為「生命之光」,它的血統高貴,係世界兩大名莊 Frescobaldi花之蝶 (之前有買 CastelGiocondo BdM 2009的酒友可知道一下,她是花之碟家族 另一支BdM) 與 美國Robert Mondavi的合作結晶。Frescobaldi 家族發跡於意大利中部的佛羅倫斯,早在中世紀就擁有橫跨政社經三方勢力。就酒史而言,它於1308年就已有釀酒紀錄,後來對於Sangiovese此一在地品種更有長足研究。1995年,它與美國加州的那帕谷的Robert Mondavi 家族合作,選在Montalcino西南方設置了The Luce Estate(露鵲莊園)。由於當地日照充足且夏季乾燥,有效幫助了莊園南部精華地帶的葡萄生長,產出的果實除了香氣豐富之外,再加上葡萄園本身處於海拔350至420公尺,在Montalcino地區屬於地勢偏高的地帶,也因此涼爽的夜間氣候,更增添了此園複雜多變的質感,Sangiovese在此展現了經典之外的魅力。
隨著Robert Mondavi的淡出市場,Frescobaldi家族買回了酒莊,但此園名聲未受影響,各年份都是玩家收藏的對象。The Luce Estate(露鵲莊園)目前主要生產著三款酒:旗艦款Luce(露鵲),市場追逐者眾,葡萄主要來自莊園內南部的精華地帶,品種為Sangiovese與Merlot。此酒在紫羅蘭與黑櫻桃的風味之間還有一些辛香味,純淨而優雅,均衡且尾韻帶薄荷感,綿長而曼妙無比。Luce算是Montalcino區域內首款以Sangiovese與Merlot作調和的酒款。這樣的想法,某種程度也反映著意大利與美國兩大名莊合作的理念。不過在Montalcino,只有100%的Sangiovese才能掛上Brunello di Montalcino(DOCG),也因此Luce基本上仍是屬於地區餐酒。
至於Luce 也有少量生產的 Brunello di Montalcino ,主要來自77公頃葡萄園中的小小5公頃,酒款名則是Luce Brunello,市場比較少見 。