Winemaker Notes
Brilliant ruby red with attractive depth. The aromas are alcohol and fruit-rich when the wine is young, mellowing with bottle aging into ripe plum fruit layered over a faintly grassy background note. Dry, soft and well-balanced on the palate, it reveals a pleasing bitterish twist in the finish. Good aromatic length.
Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Carménère
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Always a pleasure on the nose, the 2019 Terre di San Leonardo wafts up with crushed raspberry, bay leaf, sage and white pepper aromas. This glides across the palate, silky and refined, with a lively mix of mineral-tinged red fruits and licorice. It finishes classically dry, yet fresh, with lingering wild berries and pretty inner florals. There's a lovely alpine feel to the 2019, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Carménère.
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Wine Spectator
Fragrant with milled pepper, dried dill and thyme notes, this fresh, medium-bodied red layers flavors of roasted plum and currant, cedar and loamy earth with light, creamy tannins that firm the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere. Drink now through 2028. 8,000 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A mountainous northern Italian region heavily influenced by German culture, Trentino-Alto Adige is actually made up of two separate but similar regions: Alto Adige and Trentino.
Trentino, the southern half, is primarily Italian-speaking and largely responsible for the production of non-native, international grapes. There is a significant quantity of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Merlot produced. But Trentino's native and most unique red variety, Teroldego, while still rare, is gaining popularity. It produces a deeply colored red wine rich in wild blackberry, herb, coffee and cocoa.
The rugged terrain of German-speaking Alto Adige (also referred to as Südtirol) focuses on small-scale viticulture, with great value placed on local varieties—though international varieties have been widely planted since the 1800s. Sheltered by the Alps from harsh northerly winds, many of the best vineyards are at extreme altitude but on steep slopes to increase sunlight exposure.
Dominant red varieties include the bold, herbaceous Lagrein and delicate, strawberry-kissed, Schiava, in addition to some Pinot Nero.
The primary white grapes are Pinot grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc, as well as smaller plantings of Sauvignon blanc, Müller Thurgau. These tend to be bright and refreshing with crisp acidity and just the right amount of texture. Some of the highest quality Pinot grigio in Italy is made here.