A Merlot-Sangiovese blend with excellent potential…
Name: La Vite Lucente
Vintage: 2014
Producer: Luce della Vite, Frescobaldi
Region/Country: Tuscany, Italy
Grape Varietal(s): Merlot and Sangiovese
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Consumed: At Bella Gelateria and Pizzeria in Vancouver, Canada
Recommended By: Picked it off the wine list at the restaurant
Cost: $75 CAD at the restaurant (available for $34.95 at the LCBO)
Bottle Presentation: Interesting, decorative label. It definitely picks up on the Luce premier line with its sun design and subdued rusty/orange and silver colours.
Appearance: Medium purple-to-ruby.
Nose: A combination of sour cherries, blackberries, cranberries, cedar, and leather. We also picked up some alcohol.
Taste: Prominent flavours included dark fruit (blackberries and plums), sour cherries, cranberries, anise, herbal notes, leather, and earth.
Generally, it was a medium-to-full bodied wine, with high acidity, and medium-high tannins that felt somewhat harsh/sharp. This was an indication, to us, the wine could benefit from additional time in bottle to settle and mature.
Finish: A medium, earthy finish.
Overall Impression: We appreciated the complexity of this wine, an I.G.T., which has plenty to offer, both in the nose and in the mouth. At the same time, the wine could be cellared for a few more years to allow the tannins to round and for the alcohol to dissipate from the nose.
At $75 CAD in the restaurant, it seemed a little expensive for what you currently get. But we are confident its value will be demonstrated in the coming years once it reaches its excellent potential.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 87/100
Value: 2/5