Tenuta San Leonardo - 'San Leonardo' Vigneti delle Dolomiti 2017

Tenuta San Leonardo covers an overall area of 300 hectares, of which the vineyards, planted to red grapes beginning at an elevation of 150 metres, amount to 30 hectares. Merlot is planted in pebble-rich soils that were once the bed of a tributary of the Adige, while Cabernet Sauvignon and the old vineyards of Carmenère are in predominantly sandy soils. All are well-drained, low-fertility soils that yield wines with truly unusual levels of anthocyanins, and not just for the Trentino. In 2015, San Leonardo launched a project of conversion to organic viticulture, which concluded successfully in late 2018 with the award of official certification. In the same year, the BWA Friends of Biodiversity organization certified San Leonardo as a Friend of Biodiversity, testifying to San Leonardo ́s deep commitment to preserving the character of its growing area.

The iconic wine of the estate, with its roots deep in its centuries-old history. A classic Bordeaux blend of breed, aristocratic elegance, and extraordinary longevity.

This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère and 10% Merlot fermented in cement tanks and aged 24 months in new, once-, and -twice used French oak barrels.

"The Tenuta San Leonardo 2017 San Leonardo (in a heavy glass bottle) shows subtle but unmistakable generosity and exuberance that is absolutely in line with this hot vintage. In this regard, the 2017 stands apart from past vintages from this estate that is celebrated for its elegant, undertone and long-term approach. This wine is slightly more accessible too, with plush, dark fruit, balanced oak spice and perfumed rose over a polished, silky mouthfeel." - 95 Points, Wine Advocate

"The 2017 vintage of San Leonardo is one of the smallest productions in recent memory: not only did it hail twice in August, drastically reducing the crop, but one of the vats cracked and the winery lost the equivalent of around 15,000 bottles of wine. Despite the challenges, it's a typically elegant red, full of scents of balsam, spicy black and red berries, tobacco and earth. A tangy attack of sweet fleshy red fruits is followed by some spicy, earthy currants on the mid-palate and fine-grained, grippy tannins. Intense, super-fresh, fragrant and complex, the long finish shows flecks of tobacco and balsamic lift." - 95 Points, Decanter

"You could easily mistake the stunningly deep and subtle nose of this Sub-Alpine red for a high-end Medoc wine from the same vintage (which was on the restrained side). A super-elegant, mid-weight cabernet sauvignon-dominated blend with plenty of fine tannin married to blackcurrant and forest-berry fruit, plus touches of licorice, savory notes and bitter chocolate at the very long finish. Drink or hold" - 94 Points, James Suckling

Producer: Tenuta San Leonardo

Country: Italy

Region: Trentino-Alto Adige

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot

Appellation: Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT

Vintage: 2017

Size: 750ml