Luce’s 2021 Brunello di Montalcino shows a different side of an estate built to challenge convention. Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi created Luce to explore a new expression of Montalcino; here, the focus narrows to 100% Sangiovese from just 11 hectares registered for Brunello. In 2021, that small piece of the estate produced a wine James Suckling rated 99 points. At 400 meters, the vineyard held a crucial advantage in 2021. When frost swept across Tuscany in April, Luce’s Sangiovese escaped damage, followed by a hot, dry summer and a September of sunny days and cool nights. The estate credits that final stretch with excellent ripeness, crisp tannins, and exceptional aromatic intensity. In the cellar, Luce takes the classical route. The 2021 ferments in concrete, spends four weeks on the skins, then ages for at least 24 months in Slavonian oak casks. For an estate famous for looking forward, there is something especially compelling about seeing it make Brunello with this much respect for tradition.