Frescobaldi - Tenuta Luce della Vite : Luce 2022

Well-marked by new oak, this red is saturated with cherry, plum, iron, vanilla, sweet Bourbon and resin aromas and flavors. Fluid and elegant, with assertive tannins shoring up the crisp, lingering finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2027 through 2040. 10,833 cases made, 900 cases imported.

Beyond the cedar, toast and sauna-like prologue, nuances of nutmeg-infused dark brambles lie in wait, while upfront grainy tannins are accentuated by a puckering raciness. Concentrated though not necessarily plush, the 2022 is still quite grapey in its embryonic state. Early picking to preserve acidity saw the Merlot harvest commence on 28 August in 2022, with the Sangiovese following two weeks later. The oak imprint is still very much at the fore of this recently bottled 30th anniversary edition. Needless to say, it needs time.

Jewel ruby red in color, with grilled oak, vanilla, and ripe red fruits; highly charged, leaning into the ripeness of the vintage. Alessandro Marini, director and winemaker.