Trentino, Italy
Tenuta San Leonardo
Tenuta San Leonardo is considered by critics to be one of Italy’s best wine estates. This is a property steeped in tradition – a legacy that Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga and now his son Anselmo have continued. Its underground cellars are dedicated to raising and maturing a collection of exceptional wines and grappas.
The origins of Tenuta San Leonardo, which is situated to the north of Verona and to the east of nearby Lake Garda, date back over 1,000 years to a monastery that remains well preserved to this day.
Where history and innovation intersect
Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga, the owner, has dedicated his life to nurturing this historic estate while embracing innovation and modern practices. He was the first-ever grower in Trentino to switch from traditional, high-cropping, pergola-trellised vineyards to the Guyot vine training method, which is more conducive to higher quality. To give his wines the perfect start in life, he built a new underground barrel cellar in 2001 – one of the most impressive constructions of its kind in Italy. Quality has always come before quantity at San Leonardo. The estate keeps yields very low and eschews the use of pesticides and herbicides. This ensures impeccable purity.
Both wine and grappa
Grappa Stravecchia is distilled every November from the pomace of the grapes that were used to make the estate’s prestigious ‘San Leonardo’. After five years of maturation in French oak barrels, the grappa is filled into hand-blown bottles. Carlo’s son Anselmo has been running the business since 2001, assisted by the famous Tuscan winemaker Carlo Ferrini.
“San Leonardo is not a wine, it is a place. I am not drinking a wine but a piece of identity.”
Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Ganzaga
