Tenuta Luce 2008 Brunello di Montalcino

Here's a very rare 11 year old Brunello from the esteemed Tenuta Luce. When Vittorio Frescobaldi, in the early nineties met Robert Mondavi, they gave life to a new chapter in the history of the great Tuscan wines Creating Luce. It all started from the desire to make a dream come true: create excellent wines from Tuscany in a particularly suitable terroir, Montalcino. Over the years, Tenuta Luce has produced exclusive wines that have earned a widespread, international appreciation among the great wines from Tuscany.

In 2008 grapes ripened slightly earlier than last year. In addition, the cool nights and warm, sunny days that followed in September ensured that the grapes achieved full ripeness and were able to yield wines of very high quality. This favorable growing season brought optimal conditions, resulting in well-ripened fruit, desired acidities, and good overall aromatic complexity. The wine aged 36 months in  hand-split French barriques 90% one-use and 10% new; Slavonian oak casks.

James Suckling scored this 95 points saying "Blackberry, floral and dark chocolate aromas follow through to a full body, with a berry, nutty and mushroom character. Chewy and structured. One of the wines of the vintage. Better in 2014."

Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 92 points saying "Luce della Vite opens with an inky dark appearance and added extraction that is hard to find otherwise in 2008 Brunello. Soft aromas of cherry and blackberry are followed by supple fragrances of leather and spice. There is fruit pulp in the mouth and the wine’s extra richness really helps to balance out its acidity and those still-young tannins."

The Wine Advocate scored this 91 points saying "Luce della Vite’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Luce is one of the most powerful wines of the vintage. Mocha, espresso, licorice, smoke, super-ripe black cherries and plums literally jump from the glass. A Brunello seemingly made for Napa Valley Cabernet drinkers, the 2008 has plenty of richness and depth. It is also impeccably made from a technical standpoint, even if it bears little resemblance to the rest of the wines of the appellation. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020."