2003 San Leonardo
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The 2003 San Leonardo shows the warm and dry nature of the vintage. It maintains a fresh character, leading off with masses of ripe plum, black berry and currants. Peppery florals and herbs mix with brown spice to create an alluring yet unabashedly ripe expression. Velvety textures give way to ripe dark fruits and sweet minerals, keeping a juicy persona through vibrant acids. The 2003 shows more maturity than the vintages surrounding it. An herbaceous twang and the slightest hint of heat lingers, yet I'm not finding it distracting. In fact, the 2003 is a great wine to drink now, as I’ve always found San Leonardo achieves balance in even the hottest vintages.
Punteggi della critica
Punteggio medio
Jancis Robinson MW
The Wine Advocate
Altre recensioni e punteggi
At San Leonardo, as in the rest of Italy, the 2003 growing year saw little rain and, above all, very high temperatures. We need only mention that the average temperatures in June, July and August remained above 24 °C, which together with the lack of precipitation led to early ripening of the fruit. In consequence, picking began a few days earlier than usual on 21 September and continued smoothly to its conclusion on 12 October. Marchesi Carlo: ‘A hot, challenging growing year, but thanks to our microclimate and significant work in the vineyards, the result is a beautiful wine nonetheless.’ Half bottles: 3,000; bottles: 52,246; magnums: 2,970; double magnums: 200; imperials: 15; salmanazars: 15. Magnum. Big, ripe and rather bold. This wine from the heatwave vintage doesn’t have the subtlety of many other vintages but it has admirable and rather unexpected freshness. Carlo apparently decided to stop de-leafing and performing a green harvest this year to prevent sunburn and overripeness of too small a crop. The Carmenère element seems quite strong in this wine. If I tasted it in isolation I would probably be more impressed, but it doesn’t stand up so well in comparison with less challenging vintages. (JR)
After the disappointing 2002 vintage (that was not produced), the 2003 San Leonardo shows a greater degree of harmony and balance that I may not have initially expected. As you will remember, 2003 saw soaring, scorching temperatures that wreaked havoc on vineyards across Europe. But cool mountain breezes and deep diurnal shifts have helped to preserve the integrity of fruit on display here. The mouthfeel does not boast the same depth as San Leonardo's greatest vintages, but the bouquet shows immediate fruit, spice and grilled herbs. It must be said that this wine does not lack in acidity and this is an important point. The Guerrieri Gonzaga family opted to harvest a bit early and this proved an excellent decision for maintaining freshness. It's ready to drink now but could also hold a few more years.
Mid ruby with some age at the rim. Mild, warm, already complex nose with graphite and blackberries. Relatively lightweight with the tannins quite evolved but no sign of any heatwave characteristics. But not one of the most intense or longest-lasting vintages. Freshness on the finish. (JR)