Tenuta San Leonardo, San Leonardo, 2003
Tenuta San Leonardo, San Leonardo, 2003
- Red Still
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot
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“…one of the great wines of Italy… Sassicaia and San Leonardo seem like brothers separated in childhood.”
Wine Advocate, December 2014
“Surely the most successful Bordeaux blend of Northern Italy”
Jancis Robinson, August 2012
The wines are more akin to Bordeaux than Bolgheri with their balance and purity and (says leading Italian critic Nicolas Belfrage) ‘can have an elegance-cum-depth capable of taking on the best clarets of the world‘. San Leonardo’s owner Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga, a rare example (at the time) of a professionally-trained aristocrat-oenologist, spent time at Tenuta San Guido back in the 1960s and subsequently employed the same legendary consultant, Giacomo Tachis, as Sassicaia for a time. San Leonardo’s outstanding Bordeaux blend has received ‘Tre Bicchiere’ from Gambero Rosso for an extraordinary thirteen vintages consecutively and was also numbered among the Guide’s ‘Fifty Wines which changed Italy’.
The 2003, whilst showing the warmth of that vintage in its ripe and spicy palate, retains an aromatic freshness and vivacity due to the cooler nights, stiff breezes off the mountain and earlier harvesting.
"One of my personal favourite Italian wines, unquestionably the top winery in the region and renowned as one of the most consistent – stylistically and qualitatively – in the whole of Italy, YET its wines remain extremely well-priced by comparison to more widely publicised names."
Tom Harrow, Honest Grapes Wine Director
What the critics say:
"Mid ruby with some age at the rim. Mild, warm, already complex nose with graphite and blackberries. Relatively lightweight with the tannins quite evolved but no sign of any heatwave characteristics. But not one of the most intense or longest-lasting vintages. Freshness on the finish."
"After the disappointing 2002 vintage (that was not produced), the 2003 San Leonardo shows a greater degree of harmony and balance that I may not have initially expected. As you will remember, 2003 saw soaring, scorching temperatures that wreaked havoc on vineyards across Europe. But cool mountain breezes and deep diurnal shifts have helped to preserve the integrity of fruit on display here. The mouthfeel does not boast the same depth as San Leonardo's greatest vintages, but the bouquet shows immediate fruit, spice and grilled herbs. It must be said that this wine does not lack in acidity and this is an important point. The Guerrieri Gonzaga family opted to harvest a bit early and this proved an excellent decision for maintaining freshness."
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