Luce Lucente 2023 (1x75cl)

Tenuta Luce was created in the early 1990s out of a partnership between Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi, and has been directed by Vittorio's son Lamberto since 2005. The estate sits in Montalcino, in southern Tuscany.

Lucente is the estate's second wine — the same Sangiovese and Merlot pairing as Luce, but made to be drunk young rather than cellared. On the 2023 the estate describes blackberry and redcurrant, mineral and graphite hints and delicate toasted nuances, with ripe, well-defined tannins and a long, harmonious finish.

What to expect: the easiest way into the estate's style, and a bottle that does not need a special occasion to justify it. It is not a scaled-down Luce so much as a different brief — fruit forward, softer, ready now.

Drinking: serve at 16–18°C. Half an hour's air helps. Good with steak, roast meats, hard cheese and most braised Chinese dishes.