Wine has been produced at Tenuta San Leonardo since 1724 at the foot of the Dolomite mountains, in an area known as Trentino-Adige. We are excited to offer the latest release of their outstanding range of wines.

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Dear <<First Name>>,

As we move towards the winter season where the nights draw in and temperature drops, hearty Reds become the bottle of choice from the cellar.

San Leonardo have making wine at the foot of the Dolomite mountains, known as Trentino and Alto-Adige, since 1724 and offer a range of wines as diverse the landscape the vines are grown on. They also produce some very different wines over and above the traditional Nebbiolo and Sangiovese grapes you would expect, from the Bordeaux style blends and even a rare wine wine from Carmenère .

We have Vette (Sauvignon blanc) where Eric Guido (Vinous.com) gives 89 pts and proclaims "This is wonderful, pure, fresh and mouthwatering, without overemphasizing the grassy notes".
The baby brother of the famous San Leondaro, Terre Rosso (91 pts - EG) is designed to be drunk younger, with a fresher style.
For something slightly different, opt for the 2015 Carmenère which is only made in the best vintages and where Eric Guido (Vinous.com) awards 94 pts and concludes is "This is a selection from San Leonardo’s oldest vines of Carmenère, and it’s a stunner!".
We complete the line-up with the most famous wine and namesake, San Leonardo made from Bordeaux blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Eric Guido (Vinous.com)

"There are no other regions in Italy that are as connected and yet different as Trentino and Alto Adige"

In 1978 the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines joined the Merlot and Carmenère that had long been planted, and in 1982 the first vintage of the flagship San Leonardo was produced. The wine has changed very little since then. The estate covers an overall area of 300 hectares, of which the vineyards, planted to red grapes beginning at an elevation of 150 metres, amount to 30 hectares. Merlot is planted in pebble-rich soils that were once the bed of a tributary of the Adige, while Cabernet Sauvignon and the old vineyards of Carmenère are in predominantly sandy soils. All are well-drained, low-fertility soils that yield wines with truly unusual levels of anthocyanins, and not just for the Trentino. In 2015, San Leonardo launched a project of conversion to organic viticulture, which concluded successfully in late 2018 with the award of official certification. In the same year, the BWA Friends of Biodiversity organisation certified San Leonardo as a Friend of Biodiversity, testifying to San Leonardo ́s deep commitment to preserving the character of its growing area.

We are delighted to offer this incredible selection of top San Leonardo wines all at the best prices on the UK market, while stocks last.

James Suckling

"This blockbuster Bordeaux Blend from Trentino is clearly the Sassicaia of the north"

Jancis Robinson

""i find it difficult to think of any wine anywhere that has changed as little over the last 30 years as San Leonardo, surely the most successful Bordeaux blend of northern Italy""

Tenuta San Leonardo in Trentino has been home to the Guerrieri Gonzaga family for over three hundred years, but it is only since the second half of the twentieth century, when Marchese Carlo took over, that this estate began to take wine production seriously

Vette di San Leonardo (DOCG)

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vette is named for the imposing peaks that rise above its Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, and it is the true height of refreshing crispness and earthy minerality.
A wine with a distinctive freshness tinged with floral notes, with a stylishly woven structure and complex minerality. Its name is a tribute to its truly Trentino identity, while the Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga guarantee quality by selecting grapes personally from the Val di Cembra growers.

Pricing

2018
£ 66.00 (75cl) per 6 (IB)

Eric Guido (Vinous) - 89 pts

"The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Vette di San Leonardo is lifted and precise, showing white flowers, lemony citrus and crushed stone. It’s round and soft, complemented by ripe orchard fruits, yet quickly framed by zesty acids, minerals and a tart tug of citrus that lingers. This is wonderful, pure, fresh and mouthwatering, without overemphasizing the grassy notes that Sauvignon Blanc often shows."

Terre di San Leonardo (DOCG)

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Carmenère

Terre, a Bordeaux blend like San Leonardo and from the same terroir, follows in the footsteps of its “elder brother,” here with remarkable crispness and enviable balance.
The grapes are sourced from the youngest estate vineyards, which yield a wine with a lighter structure, lively drinkability, and a refined pleasurableness that gives it a definite elegance. Terre di San Leonardo’s roundedness and harmony are finally crowned by a six-month bottle-ageing before release.

Pricing

2016
£ 66.00 (75cl) per 6 (IB)

Eric Guido (Vinous) - 91 pts

"The 2016 Terre di San Leonardo Rosso is an excellent introduction to the producer and their style. The wine is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Carmenère from younger vines, yet the same terroir of the flagship San Leonardo. The bigger difference here is in the composition, with Merlot taking a front seat to Carmenère, and in the aging, using a blend of 80% concrete and 20% French oak for a shorter period of time. That said, the Terre di San Leonardo is intended to be the fresher and more immediate wine of the house. Crushed black cherries, wild, peppery herbs, crushed stone and hints of animal musk can be found in the glass. It trades power for tension, displaying a mix of tart woodland red and black berry fruits, complemented by zesty acids and minerals with just a hint of sweet spice. Its structure is present yet doesn’t overwhelm."

Villa Gresti (DOCG)

90% Merlot, 10% Carmenère

A refined blend of Merlot and Carmenère, Villa Gresti exhibits sublime texture and
silk-smooth tannins. This is a wine of great potential for aging which represents an
alternative interpretation of San Leonardo’s unique terroir.

Pricing

2014
£ 111.00 (75cl) per 6 (IB)

Ian d'Agata (Vinous) - 91 pts

"Bright red ruby. Refined aromas of red fruit, spices, minerals and herbs. Then dense and multilayered, with a juicy tang to the red and blue fruit flavors present. Finishes long with outstanding clarity and cut thanks to harmonious acidity. Less concentrated and complex than some other famous vintages of this historic Italian wine (which is not surprising given the rainy, difficult vintage), but this is a major success in 2014 and a super example of Trentino Bordeaux blend. Another bottle I tasted was leaner and slightly green, so I averaged out my scores."

Carmenère di San Leonardo (DOC)

100% Carmenère

This is a wine produced only in the very best years from 35-50 years old vines from 1ha vineyard. Initially mistaken for Cabernet Franc, Carmenère represents today the ‘fingerprint’ of Tenuta San Leonardo. A minimum of three years in the bottle are necessary to ensure that Carmenère exhibits its full character and intriguing complexity.
‘It’s the variety that’s linked to our land. It has a strong character that somehow combines elegance with a slight rusticity’ (Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga).

Pricing

2015
£ 282.00 (75cl) per 6 (IB)

Eric Giudo (Vinous) - 94 pts

"Savory, sweet, spicy and fresh, the 2015 Carmenère di San Leonardo is pulling me closer and closer to the glass with its seductive bouquet, mixing depths of cherry and young strawberry with cracked black pepper, rosemary and sage, as white smoke combines with the slightest hint of brown sugar to set off all of the pleasure sensors in the brain. This is elegant and refined, showing silky textures playing host to tart red and a hint of black fruit, with noble tannins, as inner florals and savory herbs resonate for up to a minute, leaving just a hint of blackberry in their wake. This is a selection from San Leonardo’s oldest vines of Carmenère, and it’s a stunner!"

San Leonardo (IGT)

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère, 10% Merlot

San Leonardo is the iconic wine of San Leonardo Estate, created by Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga and legendary winemaker Giacomo Tachis. This is a wine that reflects the uniqueness of its terroir, that ‘warm northern character’ which allows no over-opulence or excessive alcohol, but rather infuses the wine with a judicious natural balance. A classic Bordeaux blend of breed, aristocratic elegance, and extraordinary longevity. Lengthy spontaneous fermentations encourage the extraction of the noble tannins, while the wine is matured according to practices honed over many years: 24 months in new, once - and -twice-used French barrels, followed by the assemblage of the final wine, and finally a minimum of 20 months of bottle-ageing.

Pricing

2014
£ 237.00 (75cl) per 6 (IB)

Wine Enthusiast - 92 pts

"The 2014 San Leonardo is understated at first, yet remarkably pretty and poised. The 2014 shows floral-laced strawberry and cherry, with hints of fresh thyme and cedar dust coming forward over time. Fleshy textural fruits soothe all that they touch, while remaining balanced and cool-toned. Gentle acids aid that tug at the cheeks, while sweet spices and inner florals punctuate the finale. Fine-grained tannins resonate, as the mouth waters with crunchy minerality while tart red berries linger on. The 2014 was the result of a difficult and rainy vintage, yet it shows quite well even today."