Tenuta San Leonardo Villa Gresti 2020
Sweet red and black fruits, soft, well-rounded tannins and subtle notes of tobacco and vanilla combine in this classy Merlot-dominated blend. The richness is offset by an appealingly fresh finish.
Merlot is planted in pebble-rich soils that were once the bed of a tributary of the Adige river, whilst the old vineyards of Carmenère are planted in predominantly sandy soils. All are well-drained and low-fertility. The vines are between ten and twenty-five years old on average.
Following gentle crushing, the grapes were passed to concrete vats were they underwent fermentation using wild yeast. Fermentation lasted for between fifteen to eighteen days, with frequent pump-overs and délestages. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation in vat, before being passed to new French oak barrels for twelve months.
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13.0% |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Trentino-Alto Adige |
| Grapes | Merlot 90%, Carmenère 10% |
| Body | D |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Tenuta San Leonardo in Trentino has been home to the Guerrieri Gonzaga family for over three centuries, but it is only since the second half of the twentieth century, when Marquese Carlo took over, that this estate began to take wine production seriously. Following a spell spent working at Tenuta San Guido with Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, creator of Sassicaia, he was inspired to see if the clay-limestone soils of his family estate could yield similar results to those achieved by his mentor. In 1978 the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines joined the Merlot and Carmenère that had long been planted and in 1982 the first vintage of the flagship San Leonardo was produced, rapidly taking its place in the pantheon of Italy's greatest wines.
