Tenuta San Leonardo

Tenuta San Leonardo was in the hands of the noble Gresti family until 1894, when Marchesi Guerreri Gonzaga married into the family and took over the estate. His son Anselmo renovated the estate and began to make serious wine and he was followed in 1974 by his son, the current owner, Carlo Guerri Gonzago. Carlo had studied oenology and worked with his relative Mario Incisa at Tenuta San Guido (before Sassiciaia existed). When Anselmo died, Carlo had to sell half of the estate to pay death duties and took a job at a cousin’s cement business to earn money to re-invest in the vineyards. At the time, the vineyards were planted to Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Carménère. Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings were bought from France and on Piero Antnori’s advice, Giacomo Tachis was hired as a consultant and thus the style of San Leonardo today was born. In 2000, Carlo’s son Anselmo returned to help run the estate, which whilst it made stellar wines, was little known outside its region. There are currently 25 hectares of vineyards and the estate has been organic since 2015. There is a very distinct microclimate here in southern Trentino, with the alpine influence giving notably cool nights and nearby Lake Garda providing a warm breeze in the afternoons. This gives fruit with fine ripeness, but also great acidity. They also own small vineyards further North from which they harvest Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. San Leonardo is an ever present in the Gambero Rosso with tre bicchieri and high point scores from the world’s critics, yet remains something of a secret. It is one of Italy’s most elegant red wines and is distinctly Bordelaise in character, improving for 10-15 years in bottle and keeping long beyond that.