Decanter interview: Lamberto Frescobaldi & Tim Mondavi

(Image credit: Photographer: Alessandro Castigl)

The Mondavis of California are no longer involved in Luce, the SuperTuscan they created with Italy’s Frescobaldi family. But the sons of the men whose vision it was still share a warm friendship. Stephen Brook met them at the estate in Montalcino.

Luce: a timeline

1973 Robert Mondavi brings his sons Michael and Tim to Italy with a view to making wine there some day

1989 The Frescobaldi family buys the Castelgiocondo estate in Montalcino

1993 First vintage of the wine that would become Luce

1994 Robert Mondavi meets Vittorio Frescobaldi

1995 A formal agreement to create Tenute Luce delle Vite is signed between the two families

2003 A Luce Brunello di Montalcino is added to the range

2004 Constellation Brands acquires Mondavi

2005 Mondavi leaves the joint venture and Frescobaldi becomes sole owner

2011 Tenute Luce della Vite converts to biodynamism

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Stephen Brook has been a contributing editor to Decanter since 1996 and has won a clutch of awards for his writing on wine. The author of more than 30 books, his works include Complete Bordeaux, now the definitive study of the region and in its third edition, and The Wines of California, which won three awards. His most recently published book is The Wines of Austria. Brook also fully revised the last two editions of Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion, and he writes for magazines in many countries.