Well-marked by spicy, toasty oak, this plum- and black cherry-flavored red is broad and muscular. Smooth, with fine structural support and hints of chocolate and coffee on the lingering aftertaste. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2021 through 2040. 840 cases imported.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Luce from Frescobaldi lifts up with a heady display of medicinal cherries, cinnamon and cloves with a dusting of cedar and white smoke. It's silky and seamless, coasting effortlessly across the palate with ease, while gaining tactile grip as notes of tart raspberry and minerals slowly settle in. There's ample acidity to balance this large-scaled effort, as it unabashedly tapers off to a black currant-cocoa-mocha-coffee mixture throughout the structured finale. The 2016 Luce della Vite had me right up until the finish, where it unfortunately leaves a harsh impression of wood instead of fruit.