Tenuta San Leonardo, under the guardianship of the Marchese Guerrieri Gonzaga family since 1724, has long been considered an unmistakable benchmark in Italian winemaking.
The 300 hectare estate, located in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige, includes 30 hectares of organically-cultivated vineyards.
Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzago was inspired to explore the potential of Bordeaux varieties in Trentino while working with Tuscany’s Tenuta San Guido, the world renowned producer of Sassicaia. In 1982 he gave life to what would become one of the most famous Italian red wine blends.
Made only in the best vintages, the Tenuta San Leonardo blend has remained the same since 1982; Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Carmenère (30%) and Merlot (10%). Each variety is vinified separately, keeping its character unchanged, and the final blend is put together prior to bottling after 24 months in French oak barriques.
San Leonardo first received a “Tre Bicchieri” award in 1993 for its 1988 vintage release, and has since been awarded 24 Tre Bicchieri.
“San Leonardo has an edge over many Bordeaux-style wines produced both within Italy and beyond. Its formidable sensory progression proves intense and tireless (absolutely capable of defying time) without ever pushing”
Gambero Rosso 2020
In a line up of consistently great vintages over more than 30 years, the 2015 San Leonardo deserves a mention in the best vintages to date.
The following reviews are a testament to the excellent 2015 vintage:
“The 2015 San Leonardo pours forth with a beautiful velvety appearance and sultry dark garnet colour. This wine shows a lot of life and dark fruit purity with black plum, blackberry, cassis and tarry prune. There is a delightful note of black pepper that is specific to this warm and sunny vintage. The fruit shows softer and richer concentration compared to past vintages and more pulpy density that gives this edition a bigger profile in terms of mouthfeel.”
97+ points, Monica Larner, Robert Parker ‘The Wine Advocate’, Feb 2021
“The 2015 San Leonardo is a classic in the making. Youthful tannins slowly make themselves known toward the close. Long, structured and spicy. As good as this is today, it will only get better over time…if you enjoy classic Bordeaux, the energy and verve of Italian wine, and experiencing history in a bottle, then you should seek out Tenuta San Leonardo” Eric Guido, Vinous Media
95 points, Eric Guido, Vinous Media, July 2020
