Drink.  Learn.  Laugh.  Repeat.

Welcome Back!Sign in here:

Not Registered?Become one of our thirsty clan 332,940 strong:

Register Today!

Lucente La Vite 2016 Wine Review

Lucente La Vite 2016

Lucente La Vite 2016

Tuscany I.G.T., Italy

Community Score:90/100

Community Reviews: 14

  Add My Review


Price: $34.95

Drink: 2018-2024

Bottle size: 750 ml

Alcohol: 13.5%

Sweetness: Dry

Wine Type: Red Wine


Winery: Lucente

Agent: Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits

Natalie's Score: 93/100

Intense, full-bodied and fleshy, Lucente La Vite 2016 is a blend of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon matured for one year in French barriques. On the palate, there is dried black cherry, fleshy blackberries, cedar spice and smoke. Pair this wine with prime rib. La Vite Lucente is a second wine to Frescobaldi’s flagship label Luce, with grapes sourced from the same vineyards.

Food pairings: pepper steak, roast beef, sausage cassoulet.

Best Beef Wine

This Lucente La Vite 2016 was reviewed on May 17, 2019 by Natalie MacLean

More Vintages: 2021  2020  2019  2018  2017 

  Add New Vintage

Pricing & Stock Information

StoreStock    
Queensway & Ireland11 Add
Wellington & St. Patrick10 Add
Big Bay Point & Yonge8 Add
Franklin & Dundas5 Add
Chemong & Milroy5 Add
See More Edit

Reviews and Ratings

Andrew Bernardo rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

This is super cool, with notes of black cherry, blackberry, plum skin, herbs, crushed flowers, earth, and a hit of smoke. 93 Points.
Craig Kuziemsky rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

Black fruit and cherry notes with some earth and mineral notes on the palate. A nice collage of flavors. A smooth finish with soft tannins. Tasted November 2018.
Andrea Shapiro rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

Cherry, cassis, pomegranate, smoky oak, toast, dark chocolate and rose petals. Flavours repeat much of these elements with stewed strawberries, cherry chutney and roasted red pepper. Very nice! Pair with sun dried tomato pasta and pimento sausages. 92 points - tasted November 2018
Jon Steeves - Sommelier rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

A great IGT. Full bodied, dry, concentrated fruit, balanced. Smooth medium tannins, slightly tart mouthfeel. Medium acidity. Pairs well with roasted beet and warm sliced tenderloin beef, balsamic glaze drizzled spinach salad. A great stocking stuffer for full bodied red Italian - IGT - Tuscan fans. Tasted 2016 vintage in November 2018. 92 points.
Wineboy rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

Not quite up to the 2015 Lucente but that wine was hard to beat. Classic CS aromas and flavours with full-bodied style. New vanilla oak supports the fruit not dominates it. Tannins are present but are already pleasant and will be more pleasant still with more time. Drink 2019 - 2024
Greg Hughes rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

A snazzy looking Super Tuscan planted in the Montalcino area. It's made with Sangiovese and Merlot. It is sort of the baby version of their flagship cuvee: Luce.
Pleasant and hits the spot.
Dense ruby. Aromas of incense, tobacco, blueberry.
Flavours are earthy and with a decently complex finish. More red amd blue fruit.
A great wine to tuck away for a few years. It would also make a great host gift. It is a trendy style and it has a lot of presentation value.
Pair with some dry aged t-bones.
Simon Chen rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

This is the baby brother of the famous Luce from Tuscany. 2016 Lucente is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Sangiovese, and a typical Luce (big brother) is always a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Sangiovese.

The Merlot gives a good roundness and richness to the wine and the Sangiovese gives that acidity and woodiness. This wine can age for a few years or drink now (with a couple hours of decanting).
Christian Marcoux rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Crafted from Sangiovese and Merlot, La Vite Lucente 2016, second wine of the Luce and proudly named a Super Toscan, shows aromas of blackberry, prune, lavender, black olive, pepper, caramel and sandalwood. Lovely tannin, with a full body and long finish, this Italian wine will please the Italian wine lover in you. Prune, blackberry, rose, graphite, bay leaf vanilla and sandalwood give a warm touch of Toscan. Enjoy.
Jennifer Havers - WSET Level 3 rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Blended form Merlot and Sangiovese. Aromas include plum, violet, tobacco, leather, and a bit of a briny note. Full bodied, bold on the palate, nicely balanced fruit and earthy notes, with some bright balancing acid, smooth tannins, and a long finish Enjoy with a perfectly medium-rare steak.
Sharon Lécuyer rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Received this one as a gift for my House Cooling Party.

Aromas of smoke, licorish and cedar. Flavours of anise and tart cherry with some sharp tannins. I'd give this one some more time in the cellar to soften the tannins.

Pairs well with hard cheeses or red meat.

Tasted November 18, 2018
Lucente La Vite 2016 is an intense and full-bodied red wine blend of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon matured for one year in French barriques. Ripe cherry, nutty and dusty herb aromas on the nose with ripe red plum, red and dark berry flavours on the palate with a long mocha, spice and smoky vanilla finish. Enjoy now or hold for a year or two in cellar. - Community Wine Reviews

2 Members would buy this wine again

If you liked the Lucente La Vite 2016, you might also like these wines:

Recipes for Lucente La Vite 2016

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO

PAIR WINE
& FOOD?

Join me in a free online video class to learn the secrets to perfect pairings.

Wine of the Week

As featured on  

CTV Wine of the Week!

Noughty Sparkling Wine
Sparkling Chardonnay,
La Mancha ...

Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean offers North America's most popular online wine and food pairing classes. She was named the World's Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia.

Natalie has published two books with Random House, both selected as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year.

Join 332,940 thirsty wine lovers who get access to all of her wine reviews by becoming a member of her site. Take a free online pairing class with her here.

FEEL LOST IN THE

LCBO?

Know the wines you want before you even get to the store with my wine reviews. Join now. It's free.

Red, White & Drunk All Over

  Best Books of the Year

Red, White & Drunk all over by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean writes about wine with a sensuous obsession... and often laugh-out-loud funny... Terrific.

Rex Pickett, Sideways

Ms. MacLean is the disarming Everywoman. She loves wine, loves drinking ... ultimately, it's a winning formula.

Eric Asimov, The New York Times

GOT A SMARTPHONE?

Access my reviews on mobile with the bar code scanner.

GET NAT'S APP

Unquenchable: A Tipsy Search

  Best Books of the Year

Unquenchable by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean is a new force in the wine writing world ‐ a feisty North American answer to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. She can write beautifully about wine.

The Financial Times of London

There are very few people in the wine world who "get it" and Natalie is one of those who brings more fun to a buttoned-up and stodgy game.

Gary Vaynerchuck, Wine Library TV

Starting a Wine Cellar?

Expert advice for all budgets

Insider tips on starting a wine cellar
From wine racks to underground caves, insider tips on size and space, number of bottles, ideal conditions and reputable resources.   learn more  
Winner World's Best Drink Writer
WFour-Time Winner James Beard Foundation
Five-Time Winner Association of Food Journalists
Six-Time Winner Bert Greene Award
Best Wine Literature Book Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Online Writer of the Year Louis Roederer International Wine Writing Award