“Terre di San Leonardo” Rosso Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2023

Tenuta San Leonardo | Trentino
Tenuta San Leonardo s.a.s. | Località San Leonardo 1 | IT 38063 Avio

01182923 · 0,75 l · 23,87 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately
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The great Bordeaux estates have shown the way: a so-called "second wine" is not simply a wine that didn't make the grade. It offers a different perspective. Younger vines, different plots, shorter ageing – resulting in a wine that is meant to be drunk sooner, has a fresher character and reveals a different facet of the same terroir. Tenuta San Leonardo introduced this concept to the Dolomites in 2005.

Terre di San Leonardo is made from grapes grown on the estate's younger vines and from those plots which, in a given vintage, do not feature in the flagship wine – yet are planted on the same exceptional soil. Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère are rooted in sandy soils, whilst Merlot grows in gravelly alluvial soils that were once the riverbed of a tributary of the Adige. Drainage, minerality, tension – the same foundation as the great San Leonardo, but told at a different pace. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Carmenère. The higher proportion of Merlot compared to the flagship wine makes all the difference: more fruit, more suppleness, earlier drinkability. 80% of the wine matures for 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks, 20% in French barriques – overall, a more subtle use of oak than in its big brother. Incidentally, the entire estate has been certified organic since 2018.

A deep ruby red with garnet highlights. The bouquet is fresh and aromatically precise: red plum, redcurrant, charcoal, dry mountain herbs, a hint of leather and white pepper – that characteristic Carmenère profile which San Leonardo masters like no other estate in northern Italy. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, with elegant, fine-grained tannins, a lively acidity that keeps the wine dynamic, and a long, salty-mineral finish with a subtle hint of pepper. A Bordeaux blend from the Dolomites – and it sounds like neither of them. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2023 Terre di San Leonardo reveals an unexpected depth as crushed raspberries mingle with wild herbs, pine shavings and dusty earth. It is uplifting and structured vertically, slowly building in intensity through a core of tart red fruits and minerals, whilst rosy floral notes resonate towards the finish. A hint of white pepper lingers in final distinctly salty final, whilst the 2023 leaves a subtle touch of tannins and a hint of tart citrus fruits that refresh the experience. The Terre di San Leonardo represents unbeatable value." Vinous

"A spicy and peppery wine with aromas of dark fruit, cassis and hints of leaves and peat. Very expressive, crisp and light-bodied, with chalky, lightly framed tannins. Match it with food." James Suckling