- LuceMonaca 2002

Colour / Colore:

Rich, deep, almost opaque.

Aroma / Profumo:

Expressive aroma of ripe black fruit, plums, blackberries, hint of oak quite faint.

Palate / Gusto:

Immediate impact of intense, concentrated fruit, firm acidity (of Barbera) with round berry fruit of the Bordeaux varieties. Robust tannic structure, very ripe, nothing green, completely covered by rich, ripe fruit, as is the hint of barrique at back. Beautifully balanced, a perfect marriage of the structure and aroma of Piemonte and the rich fruit and depth of Bordeaux.

Ageing potential / Invecchiamento:

This wine is ready to drink now and will also develop well for another three to five years if carefully cellared.

Vineyard / Vigneto:

Barbera fruit for the 2000 Luce Monaca comes from the vineyard called "Luce" at the Cascinone estate (400 meters altitude), the name derives from the Italian word for "light" because the vines catch the sunlight from dawn till dusk. The Cabernet and Merlot vines are from the "Monaca" block, a steep South-facing vineyard, also at Cascinone. In both cases the soil is clay based with a greater preponderance of chalk at the Monaca block, producing extremely low crops.

Wine making / Vinificazione:

The grapes for the 2000 Luce Monaca (Barbera 40%, Merlot 30% and Cabernet Sauvignon 30%) were handpicked, de-stemmed and crushed and then inoculated with selected yeasts. The must was then fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats with pumping over four times a day. The wine was pressed just before dryness and then racked to a mixture of new (2/3) and one year old (1/3) French oak barriques where it underwent malolactic fermentation and aged for 18 months. Following bottling, the wine was left to develop in bottle for 6 months before being released.

Analysis at harvest / Analisi sull'uva:

Analysis on wine / Analisi sul vino: