With the 2011 vintage, Tenuta San Leonardo introduced Vette di San Leonardo, a white wine made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc. It is always exciting when a dedicated red wine producer like Tenuta San Leonardo suddenly decides to create a white wine. “With this wine, we wanted to show that the perfect balance between minerality, richness, and tension—characteristics our winery is known for—could also be expressed in a white wine,” says Marquis Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga. “That’s why we specifically chose Sauvignon Blanc, which, when grown in our vineyards, delivers the crispness and elegance we aim for, in line with our philosophy here at the estate.”
San Leonardo’s Sauvignon Blanc was planted in 1996 and 2005 in the northernmost part of the estate. Here, sharp mountain peaks (Vette in Italian) dominate the landscape, inspiring the wine’s name. The grapes are hand-picked, and after arriving at the winery, they undergo a short skin maceration before being gently pressed. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, and after fermentation, the wine is left to rest and naturally settle on its lees for five months, also in stainless steel tanks.
The aroma is distinctly Sauvignon Blanc, offering a pleasant coolness with notes of elderflower and gooseberry. With some aeration, the wine develops rounder and more golden tones, revealing hints of wildflowers and citrus fruits. The taste follows a structured, dry, and refined style—more elegant than powerful, closely resembling the estate’s red wines, which was the intention. Serve it with grilled fish or shellfish served “naturel” with lime or lemon.
