Luce della Vita is a second important brand owned by the Frescobaldi family in Montalcino. Their other historic estate is the Tenuta Castelgiocondo with a beautiful villa overlooking the vineyards. The Luce brand does extremely well in foreign markets thanks to its elegant marketing and packaging. The Luce della Vite 2012 Brunello di Montalcino sees an annual production of approximately 25,000 bottles. The wine is styled with contemporary flair. The color is richly saturated and inky dark with bright ruby highlights. The color is very attractive. Bold cherry and blackberry emerge from the bouquet, and there's a generous amount of oak spice and toast to speak to an international palate. Integrated oak tannins are folded within the wine's rich and fruity consistency. -Monica Larner

Aromas of spiced plum, pipe tobacco, French oak and a whiff of pressed purple flower slowly take shape on this firmly structured red. The palate is youthfully austere, offering dried black cherry, pomegranate, green tea and clove framed in fresh acidity and bracing fine-grained tannins that give the finish a tight grip. An espresso note wraps up the close.