2011 San Leonardo

Aromas of stewed black fruit, tobacco, balsamic, herbs and earth. It’s medium-to full-bodied with sleek tannins and a savory, succulent palate. Rich and flavorful finish. Delicious now.

The 2011 San Leonardo is extroverted and intense, leading off with a mix of crushed tart cherry and blackberry, offset by a hint of citrus rind, as savory herbal and spice tones develop. It’s deep, dark and textural, neatly displaying a warm vintage characteristic, framed by saline-minerality and zesty acids adding verve. The expression further evolves over time, becoming more angular and structured than expected. A tannic heft grippes the senses, yet there’s plenty of primary fruit here to balance. The 2011 needs some more time to unwind; yet once it does, watch out. As I’ve witnessed with warm, dry years from this house, the best is yet to come.

A particularly early start to the season, with flowering around 20 May, thus avoiding the two main rainfalls in June. In fact, during this period, the most important rainfall of the season (150 mm) was concentrated with an average temperature not exceeding 18 °C. This rainy season brought the season into line with normal trends with veraison beginning around 18 July. August and September were dry, with a significant diurnal range which allows for a perfect ripening. The harvest started on 20 September with Merlot and resumed after a short break of a few days to allow the complete ripening of the Cabernets, and ended on 10 October. Half bottles: 2,480; bottles: 55,000, magnums: 3,400; double magnums: 200; imperials: 40; salmanazars: 30; balthazars: 10; melchiors: 1. Notably dark crimson. The nose hints at warm beeswax. Fine tannins and lots of ripe red-fruit flavours. The construction of this wine is beautiful but it’s still fairly embryonic. You would want to serve it with some chewy food if you opened a bottle now. Extraordinary density of fully ripe fruit but masses of energy so it certainly isn’t heavy. Great balance. (JR)