Tenuta San Leonardo Carmenere 2015

“Savory, sweet, spicy and fresh, the 2015 Carmenère di San Leonardo is pulling me closer and closer to the glass with its seductive bouquet, mixing depths of cherry and young strawberry with cracked black pepper, rosemary and sage, as white smoke combines with the slightest hint of brown sugar to set off all of the pleasure sensors in the brain. This is elegant and refined, showing silky textures playing host to tart red and a hint of black fruit, with noble tannins, as inner florals and savory herbs resonate for up to a minute, leaving just a hint of blackberry in their wake. This is a selection from San Leonardo’s oldest vines of Carmenère, and it’s a stunner! Drinking window: 2022-2038. 94 points

While the primary focus at Tenuta San Leonardo remains on the flagship San Leonardo Rosso, the house also produces a number of varietal expressions and Bordeaux blends from the estate’s vineyards. From the varietal selections, the Sauvignon is a cool-toned, crisp mountain wine for easy sipping, while the house Riesling is a more serious, barrel-fermented and aged effort that spends an extended time on the lees. The extremely limited Carmenère di San Leonardo, a passion project of Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, hails from the estate’s oldest parcels and pays tribute to the variety that set Tenuta San Leonardo on its path to international fame. Think of the Rosso Villa Gresti as the “Right Bank” expression of San Leonardo, as it puts Merlot front and center in the blend. Lastly, you can’t go wrong with the remarkable value found in the house’s second wine, the Terre di San Leonardo Rosso. Each of these is worth checking out if you’re a fan of the house style.”

Eric Guido, Vinous (11/20)