98 Points Gambero Rosso - Elegance, finesse, precision, an authentic and frank character: this is San Leonardo. Despite its youth, its complexity on the nose is textbook, as is its harmony: a sip that is difficult to forget. The aromas are joyful, ranging from fruit to flowers, with a delicate spicy touch and intriguing undergrowth. The palate is smooth; the tannins caress the palate and there is no lack of freshness. The finish is surprising: the savory vein pushes towards a very long finish.
98 Points James Suckling - #56 in Top 100 World, 2024. The cool profile of this wine is clear from the fresh and spicy aromas of red currants and blackcurrants, leafy lightness, bell peppers and leather, with hints of smoke. The complexity of the nose is supported by an elegant palate (don’t look for power here), with a structure of filigreed tannins, crisp, integrated acidity, a medium body and a long, super savory aftertaste reminiscent of dark cherries. Drinkable now, but better from 2034.
98 Points Decanter - The 2019 opens with the most gorgeous, complex fragrance of sage, menthol and clove, slightly creamy black berries, damp earth and spice. In the mouth it's really intense, textured and precise; a core of ripe black berries and some red fruit touches, framed by wood, tobacco and fine, supple tannins. There's a ferrous, saline vein coursing through the center, and it reaches a lingering finish showcasing sapid dark berries, balsamic herbs and gentle spice, evolving into fresh and dried cherry as it strides away into the sunset. Generous yet beautifully poised, this is among the finest vintages of Tenuta San Leonardo so far.
96 Points Vinous Media - 67 of Top 100, 2024. The 2019 San Leonardo is impossible to ignore, embodying everything I love about this distinctly northern Italian Bordeaux blend. Masses of white pepper, sage, incense, sandy earth and fresh tobacco give way to dusty red currants. This is a model of elegance yet salty and savory to the core, with mineral-laden red and black fruits that flow across silky textures. The 2019 finishes classically dry with a crunchy tannic bite yet maintains an impossible freshness as savory herbal tones slowly fade. This is stunning, recalling the absolute top vintages I’ve ever tasted from San Leonardo.
Winery Notes
BLEND: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot
COLOR: Intense ruby red color with garnet highlights.
NOSE: A wine of remarkable intensity on the nose, which layers bell peppers and wild berries over a background note of vanilla.
FLAVOR: The palate is full, warm and impressively rounded, with intense aromatics that linger on the palate.
Stubbornly Classic - San Leonardo is an example of how the concept of ‘classicism’ can also be applied to the future.
“The land is the soul of our craft”, Marquis Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga likes to say. His son Anselmo, who took over the reins of the company in 2012, adds that it also has a soul: «What makes San Leonardo unique are the people who have lived here for generations and lovingly care for this land». That’s right, the individuals. The people who meet in San Leonardo today, just as they did yesterday, and who, thanks to the strength of the surrounding area, convey energy, pride and positivity. The village of San Leonardo is located at an altitude of 120 meters, within an estate of about 300 hectares facing Monte Baldo. This is today. But the company has deep roots: documents show that San Leonardo has been producing and selling wine for 300 years, since 1724.
In 1978, Marquis Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga had an intuition and a vision that proved to be more than accurate. The idea was to produce a great red wine in San Leonardo, in Vallagarina in southern Trentino, which would write a new chapter in Italian winemaking. Merlot and the rarer Carmenère (mistaken at the time for Cabernet Franc) had already been planted in these areas since the late 19th century. Cabernet Sauvignon was added to these two varieties, giving rise, thanks to the 1982 harvest, to the first vintage of San Leonardo. After more than forty harvests, things have not changed and that wine has remained true to itself, above all true to the land where the grapes grow and bear fruit.
