San Leonardo

From Crusader monastery to reference winery of the Trentino

What is today one of Italy's most renowned wineries began as a monastery: Since 1215, the estate in the Avio Valley, at the southern tip of the Trentino, was home to a monastic convent that served as a hostel for Crusaders. The Guerrieri Gonzaga family leased the estate starting in 1741 and purchased it later that same century. The decisive impulse for modern viticulture came from Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga, who took over the estate from his father in 1974. Carlo had studied oenology in Lausanne — under the influential French oenologist Émile Peynaud — and subsequently worked as a consultant at Tenuta San Guido in Tuscany, the estate where Sassicaia was born. This influence was programmatic: Carlo brought the soul of the great Bordeaux châteaux to the Trentino without denying the alpine terroir. 1982 saw the first vintage of the flagship blend, San Leonardo. Today, his son Anselmo manages the winery, supported by the renowned oenologist Carlo Ferrini, who has been active as a consultant since the year 2000.

Craftsmanship between the Alps and Lake Garda

The 30 hectares of vineyards are nestled within a 300-hectare estate of forests, meadows, and river plains in the Vallagarina, near the Adige river. The soils are glacially influenced: gravel, clay, and limestone alternate, providing good drainage and storing heat during the day. The climate owes its uniqueness to two opposing forces — the alpine barrier to the north, which slows down cold winds, and the warmth of nearby Lake Garda, which rises through the valley. The Ora del Garda, a daily wind current from the lake, dries the canopy and keeps disease pressure low. Strong day-night temperature differences, even in summer, ensure long, slow ripening and distinct freshness in the berries. In the vineyard, the family relies on consistently low yields and exclusively indigenous yeasts for fermentation. The vines for the flagship wine are at least 25 years old. Carménère — the variety that was considered Cabernet Franc on the estate since the 19th century until a DNA analysis brought the truth to light — is partially cultivated again using the traditional pergola training system to fully exploit its varietal profile. The red wines are aged for 18 to 24 months in barriques, in old cellar vaults without mechanical cooling.

Bordeaux soul, alpine freshness — the range at a glance

At the center is the San Leonardo, a cuvée of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carménère, and 10% Merlot. The wine bears a clear signature: no hedonistic opulence in the Tuscan style, but cool spice, structure, and length — smoky bell pepper and green olive as the varietal Carménère signature, framed by the density of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The Terre di San Leonardo interprets this style in a more accessible and fruit-forward way. Villa Gresti, a Merlot-Carménère blend, brings fullness with a Mediterranean character. On the other side is the Vette di San Leonardo, a Sauvignon Blanc from higher altitudes that clearly reflects the estate's alpine origin: herbal, citrus-fresh, with lively acidity. The portfolio is complemented by the Gemma, a rosato. The result is a range that consistently utilizes the geographical intermediate position of the Trentino — alpine and Mediterranean at once — and translates it into stylistically coherent wines.