2001 Luce Sangiovese Merlot

Luce della Vite, the former Frescobaldi-Mondavi joint-venture in Montalcino, has now become essentially a Frescobaldi property with Michael Mondavi as minority partner. The main interest, obviously, is the wine, not the business aspects of the operation, and the 2001 Luce, the best made to date, underscores just how well Merlot works with Sangiovese, filling out the frame and softening some of the asperities just as its does with Cabernet in Bordeaux. A full ruby in color, ripe, intense, spicy, and penetrating in aroma, the wine is packed on the palate, broad, substantial, and long, and with the muscles and velvet that only the classiest of wines manage to exhibit. Already drinking beautifully, it will hold for another decade and a half. Importer: Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 256-2700