Tenuta San Leonardo Winery Guide

Creator of one of Italy’s best Bordeaux-style blends, the southern Trentino winery Tenuta San Leonardo has won more awards than it can keep track of. But few are as significant as the recognition it received in early fall of 2007 when Italy’s most respected wine guides revealed their selections for the country’s top wines. One of only five Italian wines to receive the highest scores in all publications was the San Leonardo 2003, the flagship wine of Tenuta San Leonardo. Still, the achievement is merely another feather in the cap of this prestigious and highly regarded winery. This Italian wine region close to Trento is off the beaten track and is a unique and fascinating area in Northern Italy where you can enjoy a wine tour.

Founded in 1770, Tenuta San Leonardo sits on a sprawling and gorgeous estate near Avio. Grapes may have been grown here as early as 900 AD when monks from a monastery on the site made wine for mass. Part of the ancient monastery survives today and has been incorporated into the winery; its old hospice is now used as a cellar. The aristocratic Guerrieri Gonzaga family inherited the property in the 18th century and has been running it ever since.

These days, the winery is focused on a small production of red wines: the Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc-Merlot blend San Leonardo; its younger brother, the Merlot-Carmenere blend of Villa Gresti, and a 100 percent Merlot wine. Wines that strive to be a complex reflection of their terroir are truly pampered creations that, year after year, beat the odds of the unpredictable Trentino climate to become balanced, expressive wines.

The 300-hectare estate lies in the heart of Vallagarina, between the villages of Masi and Borghetto on the banks of the Adige River. The relatively dry and loose gravelly soils of the 20 hectares of vineyards here are ideal for producing grapes with concentrated aromas and flavors. Particularly notable is the Cabernet Franc, which, due to the area’s unique terroir, is much less green than usual, giving the San Leonardo blend its tell-tale elegance and longevity.

Wines produced

  • San Leonardo

    60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot; alcohol 13%
  • Villa Gresti

    90% Merlot, 10% Carmenere; alcohol 13%
  • Merlot

    100% Merlot, alcohol 12.5%

Facts & Figures

Appellation

IGT Vigneti Delle Dolomiti and IGT Vallagarina (previously DOC Trentino)

Founded

1770

Area under Vine

20 hectares

Age of vines

Oak barrel origin

600 French oak barrique, plus a small quantity of Russian and American oak barriques

Winemaker

Carlo Ferrini

Owner

Marchesi Carlo and Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga

Production

300,000 bottles

Grape varietals

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere

Grape Varieties Used by the Winery

  • Cabernet Franc

    Cabernet Franc grape is a close relative of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and is the principal blending grape used in Bordeaux.

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  • Cabernet Sauvignon

    Discover the irresistible allure of Cabernet Sauvignon—a worldwide favorite with robust, dark-bodied flavor. Unleash your wine journey today!

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  • Carmenere

    Carménère is a red wine grape from Bordeaux, France, once used for blending but is now mostly grown in Chile. Named for its crimson leaves in autumn, it's part of the Cabernet family and was one of Bordeaux's original six red grapes. Although rare in France today, Chile leads with the largest Carménère vineyards, exploring its blending potential, notably with Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape is also cultivated in Italy, Argentina, and parts of the United States.

  • Merlot

    Merlot is the most cultivated grape in Bordeaux and closely related to Cabernet Franc

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More information

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