Luce exclusive: 30 vintages of an under-the-radar Super Tuscan

Launched in 1997 with the simultaneous release of 1993 and 1994, this Super Tuscan was born as a collaboration between two formidable wine families: Robert Mondavi brought California’s modern sheen to Frescobaldi’s rustic Tuscan charms.

Over the years, Luce has garnered high praise for its opulence and power.

To chart its history, I sat down with 30th generation and company president, Lamberto Frescobaldi for an exclusive interview with Decanter and a vertical tasting of all 30 vintages.

Scroll down for notes and scores on all 30 vintages of Luce

Before diving in, I ask Lamberto about the birth of Luce. ‘It was really thanks to [Robert] Mondavi,’ he replies. Speaking of him fondly, Lamberto gives context to Mondavi’s mindset when he connected with Lamberto’s father, Vittorio in the early 1990s – a full two decades after resolving to making a wine in Italy.

‘Opus One had taught him and his kids that there is no such thing as a perfect wine,’ asserts Lamberto, who credits the joint venture with the Rothschilds in Napa Valley for attuning Mondavi to place over grape variety.

‘Bob was smart enough to understand that he wouldn’t make a wine on his own,’ Lamberto continues, explaining that, in Vittorio, he recognised a like-minded entrepreneur.

Leading the project for the Mondavis, Robert’s son Tim was particularly struck by Castelgiocondo in the luminous southwestern expanse of Montalcino. Despite being in the heartland of Sangiovese, it was Lamaione – a 100% Merlot – that initially inspired Tim.

This interloper was planted in the 1970s, when the property was under French ownership.

A UC Davis graduate, Lamberto was managing the vineyards when the Mondavis arrived, and collaborated with Tim to create the Luce prototype. He recalls their early conversations. ‘Do we want to make another wine? Not really. Do we want to learn something between us? Yes.’

‘The idea to blend Sangiovese and Merlot was quite unusual at the time,’ he states, adding that it didn’t compete with other wines the two companies already made. Calling himself the ‘cowboy’, Lamberto sought the power and sexiness of Merlot, while it was Tim who favoured the firmness of Sangiovese.

‘Sometimes we were arguing, and I would exclaim, “Luce isn’t Brunello!”.’

The richly textured, generously fruited, lavish style of Luce has long made that clear in the glass.

Standing alone

Touting the partnership, bottles bore both families’ names until Mondavi sold to Constellation in late 2004. Shortly after, Frescobaldi exercised its option to buy Mondavi’s 50% stake in Luce. Following the split, both the Robert Mondavi and Frescobaldi signatures were removed from the label.

‘The idea was for Luce to stand alone,’ says Lamberto.

Nevertheless, an amicable relationship between the two families has endured. ‘Most of the time, collaborations don’t work,’ Lamberto declares. ‘But in this case, it did.’

He considers Luce a new beginning for Frescobaldi, which is significant for a family that boasts seven centuries of history in agriculture and winemaking.

‘We started transferring what we were doing at Luce to our other wines, giving more care to everything from pruning, selection and picking to vinification, managing malolactic fermentation and ageing.’

Honed winemaking

While the Super Tuscan boom has largely waned, Lamberto asserts that ‘Luce has strengthened’. Still based on approximately equal proportions of Merlot and Sangiovese – only the cool, wet 2002 vintage has ever deviated from this – production has been appreciably honed over the years.

Today, Luce is selected from the property’s 92 hectares, which are distinct from the 200ha of sister estate, Castelgiocondo. Rising from 270 to 418 metres, 21 unique parcels are categorised by five different macro-soil types.

Sangiovese is planted at higher altitudes on predominantly schist, versus Merlot which sits at slightly lower elevations on sandy clay. Organic certification for all the vineyards was achieved in 2015 (although as of 2024, the company is re-evaluating if this is the right approach to attain the highest quality grapes).

Ermanno Morlacchetti has been the head agronomist since 2000. Besides ongoing research of clones and rootstocks, he cites two key improvements in the vineyards: meticulous pruning to preserve the health of vine wood, and soil management to encourage water permeation.

‘We evaluate our work every week,’ he says. ‘It is less standardised than 20 years ago.’

Renowned oenologist Niccolò d’Afflitto continues to oversee all of Frescobaldi’s estates exclusively. The Luce della Vite brand also has its own dedicated winemaker, focusing solely on the stable of Luce, second wine Lucente, Cabernet Sauvignon-based Lux Vitis and Luce Brunello.

Bordeaux-trained Alessandro Marini assumed the role of head winemaker in 2020. With an aim to preserve freshness, he favours picking earlier.

In the cellar, ‘I am looking for balance immediately,’ he remarks.

Doing better

While originally made in the same facility as Castelgiocondo, Luce has had its own cellar since 2017. ‘We have become much more precise,’ explains Lamberto, citing the beneficial role of new technology. ‘In the past, we were crossing our fingers. Now we have many more tools.’

The oak regime has also evolved: by 2005, Luce was being aged in 100% new French oak barriques. ‘You had to in those days,’ Lamberto declares. They began easing up on the use of new oak in 2011, reaching up to 20% of second-use barriques as of the 2018 vintage.

Luce is still noticeably oak-driven in its youth, however recent vintages – particularly from 2015 on – demonstrate greater refinement of oak and tannins with better balance of fruit.

Though a bit awkward, the noughties wines are not without gems – 2008 being a particular highlight. And as for the older wines, they are time capsules of a different era and provide a baseline for what has been achieved over the years. Those from the 1990s are fully developed, with an impressive rally from the 1996.

‘Tasting the older vintages makes you feel younger because they bring back memories,’ says Lamberto as he recounts making the first trial blends with Tim. ‘Bob showed up and said, “this wine is terrific; it has complexity. But I know you can you do better.”’

From 28,000 bottles in the first vintage, Luce has reached an annual production of 130,000. Lamberto does not foresee increasing quantities further. He describes Luce as ‘a young wine with much to prove’ and his focus is on improving quality.

‘Our goal is for Luce to stand proudly among the world’s finest wines.’

Robert Mondavi’s comment about doing better has clearly become Lamberto’s mantra.

Luce: 30 years of progress

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