Tenuta San Leonardo, Cabernet Franc, 2020

Part of the legend of San Leonardo is the discovery in the 1990 that vines across the estate previously believed to be Cabernet Franc were in fact Carmenere – which, whilst associated more with Chilé than Trentino, is more widely planted in Northern Italy than you might imagine. As Carmenere was not a permitted variety in the region at the time, San Leonardo continued the fiction that the blend was Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The last vintage that was labelled as such was 2010…

However, there does exist at San Leonardo a solitary 0.5ha vineyard, planted in 1989, using the traditional pergola system, that is in fact 100% Cabernet Franc. In the past it has been added in very small quantities to enhance the estate’s other wines, until now...

San Leonardo’s longstanding consultant winemaker Carlo Ferrini, one of Italy’s most respected oenologists, was so impressed by the quality of this Cabernet Franc from the 2020 vintage that he believes it deserves to be brought into the spotlight and vinified as a single variety. The wine will have a special new label (to be previewed later) and will be shipped next year after a period of further maturation. To make this an even more exciting centrepiece for the cellar or dinner table, we are offering allocations in magnums for no premium, with larger formats available right up to Salmanazar (9l) (and beyond!).

Our dear friend Anselmo, knowing Honest Grapes’ enthusiasm for special projects, has generously offered us complete exclusivity of the four available barrels. Carlo Ferrini's eagerness alone is good enough for me (more recently he has masterminded La Giodo in Brunello, one of the region's most exciting addresses).