One of Northern Italy’s strangest geographical anomalies is that the Adige River never flows into Lake Garda. The river is huge. The lake is huge. You’d think one way or another, the former would have found the latter, but instead, the Adige carves a lane parallel to Garda’s shore about six miles to the east, then bends away from the lake upon its valley exit and flows through Verona.
When a Bordeaux-style blend can say something unique and original about the category, it deserves recognition.
In that narrow chasm, called the Vallagrina, lies a historic estate with medieval roots and a terroir that might just be ideal for Cabernet and Merlot: San Leonardo. Owned by the Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga family for well over 300 years, the estate occupies a lonely spot on the wine map between the sparkling wines of Trentodoc to the north, and the rosés of Bardolino and the powerhouse reds of Valpolicella to the south.
The Vallagrina is a place of contrasting winds, a push and pull from the Dolomites’ alpine air in one direction, and the humid Po River basin and Lake Garda’s broad belly in the other. It’s like a windpipe, with the breath of the landscape inhaling and exhaling over the vines and their fruit clusters on a daily basis. This wind, known as the Ora, is special. And in this bend in the valley, San Leonardo has it all to itself.
The winery is today helmed by Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, the son of winemaker Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga. Carlo was enamored with Bordeaux grapes, and that’s what he planted and prioritized. In sandy plots within the former monastery’s walls, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon. In the clay, Merlot. And rather than studying under the tutelage of Bordeaux masters, he turned to Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta of Tenuta San Guido, the acclaimed Tuscan estate behind “Sassacaia.” A friendship was formed, and now, some fifty years later, here we are.
A few weeks ago, I uncorked the estate’s flagship wine, “San Leonardo.” Long-time readers know that my palate is always more inclined towards Italy’s native grapes, but when a Bordeaux-style blend can say something unique and original about the category, it deserves recognition. That’s what I found here, with this wine’s surprising finesse and elegance, just six years after vintage (this is the current release, by the way). This wine conjures a mood, immediately. The tasting notes are nothing new and surprising for Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot territory: dark cherries and plums (check), peppery spice (check), subtle tobacco and graphite (check). What is noteworthy is the way these elements feel woven together. Cabernet’s tannins feel equal to Merlot’s plushness which feels equal to Carmenérè’s spice. It is a reminder on what makes this combination so classic, so alluring, so popular. Yet it is exceedingly rare to find it done this well on today’s hot planet (see note below).
2019 Guerrieri Gonzaga Tenuta San Leonardo “San Leonardo” Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (Trentino-Alto Adige )
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (40%), Carmenérè (10%)
Alcohol: 13%
Opinion: ★★★★★ (out of five)
Food friendliness: Selective
Value: A Little Pricey
A beginner might like … tasting a low-alcohol Bordeaux blend, at least by 21st century standards. While the famed French region has seen its averages tick up since the 1970s from about 12% to just over 14%, this enclave in the Italian Alps has maintained its freshness. I feel like it makes a huge difference in the glass: one doesn’t tire or this wine’s boldness.
A wine obsessive history buff might like … knowing that (a) San Leonardo was the site of a royal Lombard wedding in 589, that (b) the church onsite dates back to 1215, that (c) the estate’s Villa Gresti was the site of the Austro-Hungarian surrender at the close of World War I, and that (d) the German Wehrmacht occupied the villa during World War II, temporarily using it as a regional headquarters. Like so many spots between the Bremmer Pass and Verona, Tenuta San Leonardo sits at a fascinating nexus of historical events.
Note: This wine was provided as a sample by Tenuta San Leonardo’s American PR agency. Learn more about our samples policy.
