San Leonardo 2021: A vintage of light and shade

Tenuta San Leonardo occupies the site of a medieval monastery on the floor of the Trentino valley, the corridor which links Veneto with Alto Adige.

Known for its flagship red, which, unusually, includes Carmenere alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, San Leonardo's estate has been home to the Guerrieri Gonzaga family for the last 300 years.

Surrounded by woodland and dotted with vineyards, the jewel in the crown of the estate is the impressive garden maintained by the family and attached to the 19th century Villa Gresti, which serves as the family home.

It was at the recent launch of the new 2021 vintage of San Leonardo in Palazzo Taverna in Rome, that the link between nature and wine, light and shade, became apparent.

As the evening unfolded beneath gilded chandeliers, Caravaggio-esque paintings and Flemish tapestries, leading Italian artist Chiara Camoni presented Spiritelli di Terra e Vegetazione (‘Sprites of Earth and Vegetation’) as part of the estate's ‘Arte a San Leonardo’ project (see boxout below).

Light and shade

Situated at the southern reaches of the mountainous Trentino region, San Leonardo is defined by its alpine energy.

Even in the scorching vintages of the past decade, it has retained a sleek, finesse-driven style.

In Rome, Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga commented: ‘2021 was an outstanding, eagerly anticipated vintage across Italy. At San Leonardo, it was a year of extraordinary light – and that matters, because we are in a narrow valley where the sunlight isn’t always direct.

‘Looking back over 40 years of records, we recognise that light – distinct from heat – is the foundation of great vintages.’

Already fairly expressive, this newly released 2021 vintage will please those drawn to fresher styles straight out of the gate, yet Anselmo maintains it has a long life ahead.

‘The 2021 is a marathon runner,’ he explains. ‘Perhaps it will last a little less than legendary vintages like 1988 but we expect it to drink well for forty years or more.’

The highly acclaimed 2019 is 2021’s most natural benchmark: similar in depth, though even tighter and aromatically more reserved, reflecting a slightly cooler season.

Only time will tell which of these two great vintages will ultimately prove superior, yet there is little reason to doubt that 2021 ranks among the most complete and cellar-worthy San Leonardo releases in recent years.

A taste of San Leonardo: The new 2021 vintage

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