Tenuta San Leonardo
Guerrieri Family

History and Terroir
Situated in Italy’s northerly Trentino region, Tenuta San Leonardo’s winemaking legacy dates back centuries. The estate has been overseen by the Guerrieri Gonzaga family since the mid-1700s, and today spans an impressive 300 hectares across the Lagarina Valley. Now spearheaded by Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga and his son, Anselmo, the estate’s wines are soaring to new heights. Credited by many—including current generation, Anselmo—as the founder of Tenuta San Leonardo’s modern wine, Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga has certainly made his mark on Trentino viticulture. After working for five years alongside Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, founder of Super Tuscan legend Sassicaia, Carlo discovered a passion for Bordeaux varieties. Although French varieties had been present at the estate since the 19th century, Carlo dreamed of creating a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wine, with Cabernet Franc playing the supporting role. However, to the family’s surprise, Carlo discovered in the 1990s that what he’d thought to be Cabernet Franc was actually Carmenère. Since then, Tenuta San Leonardo has been a pioneering estate for Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère-forward wines in Italy.
Farming and Winemaking
Of Tenuta San Leonardo’s 300-hectare estate, around 20 hectares are planted to international varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. In the vineyards, Carlo and Anselmo focus on cultivating lower yields of concentrated, high-quality grapes, which create the backbone to the estate’s structured and powerful wines. Anselmo is also refocusing on using the pergola system, which helps keep fruit from overripening, and thus keeps final alcohol levels in check. In the cellar, spontaneous fermentations take place with native yeasts in small concrete tanks. Aging is done for one or two years in a combination of new and used French oak barrels depending on the cuvée. The resulting wines are deep, focused, and flavor packed—and according to wine critic Jancis Robinson, the estate’s flagship cuvée is “surely the most successful Bordeaux blend of northern Italy"

There are no items in the Shop from this producer.

Upcoming Producer
No offers available currently

Upcoming Producer