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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 95.7 pts. and median of 96 pts. in 38 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 12/1/2023: Again corked. Maybe the fourth of the case. (794 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 9/8/2023: Corked badly (1037 views) | | | Tasted by BaroloRob on 8/18/2023 & rated 95 points: Still plenty of tannins to keep it going for many years. (761 views) | | | Tasted by Redteeth on 9/29/2022: This bottle received a thorough decanting. The wine was delicious and the other Bordeaux grapes harmonized well with the Cabernet Sauvignon. I wish i had more of this vintage. it's a real crowd pleaser. (1590 views) | | | Tasted by hkbob on 9/22/2021 & rated 97 points: This was the real deal. Deep glass-staining purple, bordering on black. Some similarities with the regular cab sav offering of the same vintage drunk a few months ago but with everything dialled-up a few notches. Pungent dark-fruited nose with creosote, earth, star anise and exotic spices. Full, round and lush palate with terrific energy and length. Some tannins still kicking around but the fruit more than holds its own. Recommend a good decant as this was just starting to hit its stride about 2 hours in as we finished the bottle. (2490 views) | | | Tasted by jkwoodward on 2/1/2020 & rated 95 points: Dark purple, hints of chocolate. Had with A5 wagyu and was excellent, but California cab was the better pairing. On its own this wine was ethereal in nature, soft on the palate but with excellent structure on the back end. Really enjoyable. (3908 views) | | | Tasted by dclaggett on 11/8/2019 & rated 94 points: 14.4% abv. Dark plum purple color. Textbook dark berry fruit on nose, fresh, some clove, saddle leather and cigar box. Med plus in mouth. Acidity and bright on palate, minerality, still grippy after 9 years, quite long finish. Berries, dusty cocoa, rocks, spice. Very fine, powerfully elegant wine. Has 20 years left. Exceptional Washington state style. (3435 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 9/6/2019 & rated 95 points: Decanted two hours and needed at least another hour, probably more. A big wine with rich, concentrated fruit. Black cherries, currants, licorice, and hints of floral and earthiness in the nose. Dark berry fruit in the flavor, black cherries, blackberries, chocolate, and licorice. Well balanced, complex, and a long, lingering finish. (3473 views) | | | Tasted by Red Sox Fan on 8/9/2019 & rated 93 points: Up from the cellar, decanted and then poured to warm in the glass. Initially gamey with mushroom flavors but this blew off in a few minutes. Spicy raspberry flavors with some mint and graphite on the finish. Savory, not sweet. After about an hour, moderately grainy tannins and a long, somewhat dry finish. A robust wine, enjoyable with hearty food (pizza tonight). Room for improvement if the tannins soften and dissipate. (2892 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 3/23/2019 & rated 94 points: Decanted for 2 hours. Initially some tannins but nothing obtrusive. Cool dark fruit centric with graphite and touches of earthiness. Easily identifiable as Washington in the line up purely based on the initial estringency. The best WA wine I’ve had in a few years but still not quite hitting the spot like a top their Napa. Drink or hold for 2-5 more years. (2914 views) | | | Tasted by Roentgen Ray on 2/25/2019 & rated 93 points: Double decanted.
Deep beet red color. Mine was cloudy because I splash decanted which mixed the crystalized lees into the liquid.
Somewhat reserved aromatics.
Complex and disjointed.
This wine needs time to come together. (1553 views) | | | Tasted by Bill Johnson on 2/8/2019 & rated 99 points: A beautiful wine with years left. Two hour decant revealed beautiful dark fruit with hints of graphite and mushroom. Can drink now or hold (1445 views) | | | Tasted by mats13 on 12/15/2018 & rated 94 points: Lovely cab expression. (1463 views) | | | Tasted by Red Sox Fan on 11/18/2018 & rated 95 points: Outstanding. Decanted and then poured 10 minutes later. Excellent from the start. (1434 views) | | | Tasted by Roentgen Ray on 7/6/2018 & rated 96 points: Deep purple color.
Room filling aromatics. Super intense ripe cherry laced with a mineral under current.
The tannins were rock hard and need lots of time to soften and integrate.
The level of extraction is teeth staining and mind blowing. (1623 views) | | | Tasted by Don and Pam on 9/27/2017 & rated 96 points: Great wine, extremely smooth start to finish (2918 views) | | | Tasted by Monaco on 9/3/2017 & rated 96 points: Special wine, especially after 5-6 hours in the decanter. (2573 views) | | | Tasted by LongViewCellars on 6/16/2017 & rated 99 points: Near Perfection at Mastros. I need more of this. (3090 views) | | | Tasted by tjross on 5/13/2017 & rated 98 points: Dinner at Red Cow. Decanted for a bit, then paired with ribeye and frites. Nearly perfect in every way. Likely at its drinking peak, where it will stay for awhile. (3172 views) | | | Tasted by magic2coop on 8/2/2015 & rated 90 points: Decanted for 90 minutes. Blackberry color, straightforward berries on the palate finish quickly and leaves a tight, dry finish. Hopefully more time in bottle will help. (5224 views) | | | Tasted by brianngibson on 3/30/2015 & rated 97 points: Drop dead gorgeous wine. Currant, plum, graphite, chocolate, tobacco, oak. A long finish of ripe fruit and velvet like tannins. One of thebest wines I have had in a while. (4517 views) | | | Tasted by perlasteve on 12/7/2014 & rated 97 points: Pasta dinner at Tavolata's in Belltown with Gary and Michelle. Young, but opened up in decanter after an hour. Stunning, great balance dark fruit, complexity with savory flavors, medium acidity, acid and tannins. Drank well but will be even better in 5 years, structure to last. (4763 views) | | | Tasted by gtm on 6/6/2014 & rated 99 points: Only gave 99 due to it being an infant. Provides everything you would expect to develop into a top world class Cab. needs 5-10 years of rest before full potential will be realized. this is a cornerstone wine. Chris Figgins maximized potential with this wine. (5779 views) | | | Tasted by Matt Scott on 12/21/2013 & rated 96 points: Decanted for three hours. Seamless execution and the balance is very attractive; the palate is exceptional. The nose and flavor profile is not perfect, however, still enchanting: sliced plum, baking spice, blueberry and truffle oil. This Reserve is decently long and will most certainly age for many years. Drink 2016 - 2036. (6178 views) | | | Tasted by jmcmchi on 11/19/2013 & rated 94 points: Intense pure fruit and beautifully integrated tannins - powerful but soft, soft, soft..... Beautiful (4021 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Eric Guido
Vinous, Making History: 21 Vintages of Leonetti’s Red Wine Reserve (Oct 2023) (10/1/2023)
(Leonetti Cellar Red Wine Reserve Washington Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2013, IWC Issue #171
(Leonetti Cellars Reserve Red Wine Walla Walla Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | i-WineReview.com, Report 38: The Wines of Washington State (9/1/2013)
(Leonetti Cellar Reserve Walla Walla Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | i-WineReview.com, Report 38: The Wines of Washington State (9/1/2013)
(Leonetti Cellar Reserve Walla Walla Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (12/4/2013)
(Leonetti Cellar Reserve Red Wine Walla Walla Valley) Locked up tightly initially it opens to be richly aromatic and complex with dark coffee, rich black cherry, licorice, earth, and spice. The palate is concentrated with dark fruit and cranberry flavors and tightly wound tannins with a long, lingering finish. A beautiful wine with decades of enjoyment in front of it. Give five years or an extended decant. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Malbec. Loess, Mill Creek Upland, Seven Hills, and Leonetti Old Block vineyards. Aged 22 months in French oak. 1,003 cases produced. Sample provided by winery. ***** points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and i-WineReview.com and Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels) |
| Leonetti Cellar Producer website
For more than 30 years, the Figgins Family has been producing wines of consistently high quality at Leonetti Cellar, which was bonded in 1977 by Founders Gary and Nancy Figgins. What started as Gary’s vision to make world-class wines in Walla Walla has turned out to be a true American success story. Today, Leonetti Cellar produces some of the most sought after wines in the world.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.Reserve The Wine News | Wine Country This Week | Wine Lover's PageUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Walla Walla ValleyThe name translates as easily as it rolls off the tongue: Walla Walla. Many Waters. To the earliest Native tribes, the many waters came from the nearby Blue Mountains and gathered to form the Walla Walla River on its way to join the Columbia to the west. The waters flowed first; however, into a fair-sized Valley carved in the mountain's foothills, and bordered in part by the terrain of what is known as the Columbia Plateau. Tribal members knew the Valley's generally milder climate could maintain their people in winter villages. There were lush wild grasses which could sustain horses and attract game from the winter snows of the nearby Blues, or from the giant high plateau that becomes desolate and dangerous during the cold season. The rolling terrain and numerous watersheds offered protection from nature and other hazards of the day. Here the water was plentiful and full of fish and seldom froze, even in the coldest years. The meadows were wonderful places to gather with other people to trade, compete and celebrate treaties. Compared to the region around them, the Walla Walla Valley was a safe refuge from the treacherous conditions which can often be found during the winter for hundreds of miles around. In this unique growing region, most of the earliest records of grapes and winemaking reference the Italians who had immigrated here in the mid to late 1800's and who brought with them their tradition of growing, making and drinking wine. Vines with these origins still exist in the Valley today. The first post-prohibition winery was Blue Mountain Vineyards. It was bonded in 1950 by the Pesciallo family where they produced Black Prince and other Italian varietal wines for a period of several years before succumbing to economics and climate. To the wine world of today, Walla Walla has become know for the quality and style of its red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Syrah gaining notoriety in recent years. In the1970's, the pioneers of today's wine community began to think similar thoughts: that the Walla Walla Valley, with its long history of fruit growing, moderate climate, wine-making heritage, and interesting terrain might just be a place to grow vines and make wine on a commercial scale. These pioneers of the region applied for and received approval of the Walla Walla Valley as a unique American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1984. It was the third in Washington State and also includes a portion of land in Oregon. In the time leading to the recognition of the appellation, four wineries had been bonded starting with Leonetti Cellar, and shortly thereafter, Woodward Canyon. L'Ecole Nº 41 and Waterbrook soon followed. In addition to the smaller vineyards that were being planted, the Valley's first large-scale, commercial vineyard Seven Hills was established. By the time the BATF recognized the Walla Walla Valley AVA, the Valley was beginning to gain attention from within the wine industry, as well as attracting publicity from journalists and media outside the region. The foundation for today’s industry had been laid and the benchmark for quality had been set. In addition, fruit from the area was now being harvested and a baseline for understanding the local growing conditions was being constructed. Every few years another winery would join the fold and take up the challenge of producing the highest quality wine and the growing of outstanding fruit. Seven Hills Winery and Patrick M. Paul each got their start during this time. More vines were added, although acreage increases were small each year. The industry was small and everyone knew everyone else involved, while the welcome mat remained out for any newcomers. Growers and winemakers alike regularly shared time in the cellar or at the table and together learned more about wines and vines. By 1990 there were just six wineries and the Valley's grape acreage stood at perhaps 100 acres. The total collective production of wine was microscopic by any measure, but it was the quality that was being noticed by many inside and outside the trade. As the tiny trickle of wine produced in the Walla Walla AVA began to flow to the outside world, a "wine renaissance" was beginning to happen globally. The Pacific Northwest had staked a claim in this new wine world and as people learned about the region, they also began to hear about Walla Walla. This interest spread rapidly to those with Walla Walla connections. The early 1990s saw the planting of more vines and the establishment of another large-scale vineyard, Pepper Bridge. At the same time, a group of local investors, working closely with the Napa based Chalone Wine group, laid the foundation for Canoe Ridge Vineyard, the Valley's first winery supported in part by a major outside investor. As the industry has grown, many new wineries have gotten their start in the arms of an established winery. Waterbrook Winery's modern production facility started the trend, sharing space, equipment, and any help needed. Other wineries also adopted “extra guests,” a practice that has helped form close, personal relationships throughout the local industry. By the turn of the new century, the Walla Walla Valley wine industry had 22 wineries and 800 acres of grapes. In the year 2000 the AVA had been expanded back to the original boundaries proposed in the1984 application. The year 2000 also saw the formation of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance with 100% of the Valley's wineries and 98% of the Valley's planted acreage represented. Today, more than 60 Walla Walla Valley wineries and more than 1,200 acres of Walla Walla Valley grapes contribute to the ever growing, international acclaim garnered by the wines of this newly-emerging region of Washington State. |
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