2017 Rosso Villa Gresti di San Leonardo

Tenuta San Leonardo remains one of the benchmark Trentino producers, if not in all of Italy. Any fan of classic, old-school Bordeaux or cool-climate Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carménère owes it to themselves to better understand these wines. The best part is that they age remarkably well. That said, San Leonardo struggles with the onset of global warming like everyone else, with recent vintages of their flagship wine showing earlier accessibility without coming across as overly ripe. While this may not be what long-time collectors want to hear, the reality is that the current releases now appeal to a much larger audience. I found myself sipping a 2015 recently and thinking just how pleasurable it is already. Some changes at San Leonardo include the decision to release their flagship wine later, now four and a half years after harvest. Work continues in their new higher-elevation vineyards. These parcels are planted in stony carbonate rock and limestone soils using the guyot training system instead of the traditional pergola. Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, the current manager, believes that these new vineyards are important to the future of San Leonardo, especially due to the onset of global warming. Four new hectares are already in place, planted last year, and another three are being constructed.