Tenuta San Leonardo Winery
Buy wines from Tenuta San Leonardo winery
In contrast to the typical Trentino wines, San Leonardo produces complex, deep red wines from classic Bordeaux grape varieties. Together with the special terroir, they form a unique character.
Tenuta San Leonardo originally belonged to a monastery. It has been owned by the Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga for over 300 years. Although viticulture has a long tradition at the Tenuta, it was Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga who developed the house's now famous style. He was inspired by the wines of his close friend Mario Incisa della Rochetta, whose Sassicaia was for a long time only served to family and friends at Tenuta San Guido, until Marchese Piero Antinori and his oenologist Giacomo Tachis were able to convince him to make the wine available to the public.
in 1978, Carlo planted his first Cabernet in the unique mountain setting of the Monti Lessini south of Trento and was also able to win over Giacomo Tachis as a consultant. the first vintage of this northern Italian Bordeaux-style cuvée was launched in 1982 and was an immediate success. The special thing about it was that 30% Carménère was used in addition to a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
This grape variety was standard in Bordeaux before the phylloxera plague, but had hardly been cultivated there for over 100 years. In northern Italy, on the other hand, it was more present - an ingenious move. Carlos' son Anselmo has been running the winery since 2001, although his father initially had reservations. But Anselmo won him over with a wine that he produced himself without the knowledge of others and eventually poured blind into his father's glass: The estate's first single-varietal Carménère not only delighted his father. It has since become part of the regular repertoire. Just like a fresh Riesling, a Sauvignon Blanc and a juicy Merlot. Today, Anselmo is supported by the renowned oenologist Carlo Ferrini.
© Images: Tenuta San Leonardo Winery
