Tenuta San Leonardo Winery Guide
Winery Overview
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 a unique, 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 at 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.
Today, Tenuta San Leonardo produces a refined range that extends beyond its celebrated red wines. The flagship San Leonardo is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Merlot. At the same time, Villa Gresti and Terre di San Leonardo offer complementary expressions of the estate’s Vallagarina terroir. The range also includes varietal Carmenère, Vette Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling Renano, Gemma di San Leonardo rosé from Lagrein, and Trentodoc Blanc de Blancs sparkling wines.
The 300-hectare (vineyards, woods, fields, historic hamlet, buildings, parkland) estate lies in the heart of Vallagarina, between the villages of Masi and Borghetto on the banks of the Adige River. The relatively dry, loose, gravelly soils across the 20 hectares of vineyards here are ideal for producing grapes with concentrated aromas and flavors. Particularly notable is the Carmenère, 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.
Cellar Tours clients can arrange a VIP visit to Tenuta San Leonardo as part of a private Trentino wine tour, combined with selected wineries, fine dining, lakeside scenery, and cultural stops between Verona, Lake Garda, Rovereto, and Trento.
Wines produced
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San Leonardo
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Carmenere
- Merlot
The estate’s flagship wine is a classic Bordeaux-style red blend made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Merlot. Elegant, structured, and long-lived, it is one of Trentino’s benchmark fine wines and the clearest expression of San Leonardo’s historic estate vineyards. -
Terre di San Leonardo
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Carmenere
- Merlot
Terre di San Leonardo is a fresher, earlier-drinking Bordeaux-style red made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère. Produced from the same estate terroir as San Leonardo, it offers a more immediate introduction to the winery’s refined Vallagarina style. -
Villa Gresti
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Carmenere
- Merlot
Villa Gresti is a sophisticated red blend made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenère. Merlot gives the wine roundness and texture, while Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure, and Carmenère brings spice, freshness, and a distinctive San Leonardo signature. -
Carmenère
- Carmenere
San Leonardo’s varietal Carmenère is made from Carmenère, one of the estate’s most important historic grapes. Long mistaken locally for Cabernet Franc, Carmenère now plays a defining role in the identity of San Leonardo’s red wines. -
Vette di San Leonardo
- Sauvignon Blanc
Vette is a crisp, mineral white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc. Sourced from cooler Trentino vineyard sites, it shows the alpine freshness, aromatic lift, and clean acidity that make it a useful contrast to the estate’s structured reds. -
Riesling
- Riesling
San Leonardo’s Riesling is made from Riesling Renano and reflects the estate’s renewed interest in this historic white grape. It combines citrus and mineral notes with added texture from aging in large oak tonneaux. -
Gemma di San Leonardo
- Lagrein
Gemma di San Leonardo is a fresh rosé made from Lagrein. It pays tribute to Gemma de Gresti and adds a lighter, more delicate style to the estate’s range, with red-fruit notes and savory freshness. -
Cuvée Pietra Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga
- Chardonnay
Cuvée Pietra is a Trentodoc Blanc de Blancs Brut sparkling wine made from Chardonnay. Aged for a minimum of 36 months in bottle, it adds a fresh, mountain-influenced sparkling expression to the San Leonardo range. -
Riserva Privata Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga
- Chardonnay
Riserva Privata is a Trentodoc Blanc de Blancs vintage Brut sparkling wine made from Chardonnay. Aged for 60 months, it offers a more complex and mature expression of the estate’s Trentodoc style.
Winery Contact Details
- Email [email protected]
- Tel +39-0464-689004
- Fax +39-0464-682200
- Website Visit website
Facts & Figures
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Appellation
- IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti, IGT Vallagarina and Trentodoc, depending on the wine
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Founded
- Historic estate with medieval monastic origins
- de Gresti / Guerrieri Gonzaga family history from the 18th century.
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Area under Vine
20 hectares
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Oak barrel origin
600 French oak barrique, plus a small quantity of Russian and American oak barriques
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Winemaker
- Carlo Ferrini
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Owner
- Marchesi Carlo and Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga
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Production
300,000 bottles
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Grape varietals
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Lagrein, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling Renano, Chardonnay.
Grape Varieties Used by the Winery
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White grape
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape varietal native to the Burgundy wine region in France and one of the most popular varieties worldwide. View grape -
White grape
Riesling
Discover Riesling's charm, a white grape from Germany's Rhine region, cherished in Alsace, France. Unveil its secrets and delights View grape -
White grape
Sauvignon Blanc
The sauvignon blanc grape varietal, originally from the Bordeaux region of France, is now one of the world's most loved white varieties. View grape -
Red grape
Cabernet Sauvignon
Learn what Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like, where it grows best, why it matters in Bordeaux, and how to pair and serve this age-worthy red grape. View grape -
Red grape -
Red grape
Lagrein
Discover Lagrein, Italy's hidden wine gem, perfect for discerning collectors. Explore its rich flavors and culinary pairings. View grape -
Red grape
Merlot
Merlot is the most cultivated grape in Bordeaux and closely related to Cabernet Franc View grape
