From Tenuta San Leonardo, a Sauvignon Blanc grown in Trentino, in the far north of Italy, where the Dolomites rise straight out of the vineyards. It is bottled under Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, a wide appellation that covers the valleys and hillsides of the province, and it takes its name from the peaks above the estate.
- Sauvignon Blanc, picked in Trentino.
- Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, northern Italy.
- 2023, a bright, fresh vintage.
- 12.5% alcohol, dry, light bodied.
- High acidity, low tannin.
How it is made
Sauvignon Blanc in the Dolomites ripens slowly. Cool air comes down off the mountains at night, so the grapes hold onto their acid while they build aroma. That gap between cold nights and warm days is what gives northern Italian whites their edge.
How it tastes
Passionfruit and lime zest first, then elderflower, then a wet stone note that sits underneath everything. The acidity is high and the body is light, so it reads crisp rather than soft. Dry from start to finish.
Where it comes from
Trentino is Alpine Italy, a province of narrow valleys and steep slopes where white grapes do better than most people expect. Vigneti delle Dolomiti is the region's broadest denomination, covering vineyards at very different altitudes, which is why the wines range from lean and mineral to riper and rounder.
Good to know
Sauvignon Blanc is a relatively recent arrival in Trentino compared with the local white grapes. It found a home there because the altitude and the diurnal shift suit it, giving a version that is more mineral and less tropical than the grape's reputation suggests.
