Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot
75cl * 13% ABV * Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
The iconic wine of the estate, with its roots deep in its centuries-old history, San Leonardo is a classic Bordeaux-blend of elegance and extraordinary longevity. Jancis Robinson ranked the 2017 vintage of San Leonardo above Sassicaia and decrees that vintages from 1988 are still going strong, with the youngest vintage, 2011, already beginning to drink well.
Marchese Carlo Guerreri Gonzago studied oenology in Lausanne in the late 1950s and then worked at the Tuscan estate that produces Sassicaia, Italy’s prototype 'Super Tuscan' Cabernet. Under the influence of Sassicaia’s creator, Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, Carlo was keen to see whether similar bordelais subtlety could also be coaxed out of the infertile clay-limestone benchlands of his wife’s estate in Trentino.
Prized for their consistency, the estate of San Leonardo only makes their flagship wine in years when the weather is obliging. 2019 was no exception to this rule, late spring rains delayed flowering and fruit set but not to the wines disadvantage. The summer was long and without bad weather. Typical of the region, warm summer days gave way to cold nights, but this has aided this wine by retaining good acidity in the grapes and allowing for a slightly extended ripening. This extended ripening has added layers of complexity to San Leonardo 2019. This is being hailed as another classic vintage of San Leonardo.
A Cabernet lead blend but the addition of 30% Carmenere really lends a beautiful depth and herbal character to this wine. All three grapes in this blend create indulgent red and black fruit aromas that marry beautifully with leather and savoury tobacco notes. On the palate the taste is elegant and balanced. The fruit is integrated with the tannins to create a silky mouthfeel and the these tannins will help to deliver the great aging potential of this wine.
Pairings are wide and can range from a classic Fiorentina steak, to a tomato based ragu but this also being a wine of Alpine Italy, it would pair beautifully with the stews that come from that region like a Sudtiroler Gulasch or Spezzatino di Manzo on a bed of polenta.
96/100, Eric Guido, Vinous, 'The 2019 San Leonardo is impossible to ignore. Masses of white pepper, sage, incense, sandy earth and fresh tobacco give way to dusty red currants. This is a model of elegance yet salty and savoury to the core, with mineral-laden red and black fruits that flow across silky textures. The 2019 finishes classically dry with a crunchy tannic bite yet maintains an impossible freshness as savoury herbal notes slowly fade. This is stunning, recalling the absolute top vintages I've ever tasted from San Leonardo.'
17 Points, Jancis Robinson, 'Transparent garnet colour. High-toned, with balsam and some black-pepper notes. Extremely graceful – non insistent. Already easy to like but it will surely develop more complexity over time. Very much a wine for the table and for food that is not too emphatic. An unusually delicate wine that builds towards the peacock's tail finish.'