Opaque garnet purple color. Nose of red currant, cedar, hot house flowers, holiday cake spice, hints of eucalyptus. Layers of red plum, blackberry, rich green pepper, earth, and saline on the silky palate. Moderate acidity and softened tannin. Long finish of haunting red fruit and spicy earth. Oh so great with grilled ribeye.
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November 18, 2022. Drank from Bin North 16. Gift from Marc. Cork failure. Hint of cherry and blackberry. Medium dark purple. Soft even presentation touch of cherry then dry chalk finish. Less fruit now, but pleasant mature merlot. 7.0.
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Drinking very well at age 18 and a nice pairing with smoked brisket. Hints of florals barrel notes, green peppers, fruit is more of an accent at this stage but holding, with some fresh turned soil. Still has a leathery tannin structure holding the wine together. Past it’s peak but it a very nice secondary and tertiary phase.
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Just a hint of bricking at the rim. Nose is soft but not very expressive Palate soft , silky and nice but not very interesting. No flaws but not very exciting or interesting either. I like it but don't love it.
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This wine was stored in a passive wine cellar and the cork was soft but the somme skillfully removed it with no damage using an Ah-So opener. Very good fruit and well balanced...just about at its peak. A wonderful wine...had the somme take a taste back to the kitchen and he agreed. He had never seen or had a Leonetti before.
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Pleasant but felt a bit congested. There was a wood tone that was pronounced. Some nice fruit and acidity but just a bit drab and backward; was hoping for more. I recently had the '03 Merlot and it was sublime - significantly better.
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Opened after an hour or two with the 1997 Leonetti Merlot. The three years difference is clearly evident here. The nose is a bit more focused, and more fruit forward, than the 97. The color is a bit brighter (the 97 is slightly cloudy). There are some smooth fine grained (yes, silky) tannins here [I have been trying to detect what I constantly read in some tasting notes, and this time I get it], and some tart red fruits on the palate. This is still alive (unlike the 97 which was good, but definitely on its last legs). There is more acidity, and a bit of tartness that hits the roof of the mouth, with this one. I would not expect it to get better with age, but it might hang around for a few more years.
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A nice wine but not exactly what I was expecting. Rich red and black fruit flavours (the fruit has held up very well). Well integrated and well balanced. Medium to full bodied. But it didn't have the distinctive Leonetti oak influence that I recall from older vintages. A very enjoyable wine but not as unique or distinctive as I was expecting.
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It could have cellared even longer than it did. Very intense up front fruit with an almost bright purple color. GREAT nose. A little disappointing in that it lacked the depth in the finish that I expected.
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Surprise! This tasted excellent - I would have guessed it would be over the hill. Never really liked this wine before but this bottle was excellent - good fruit, not at all overoaked and with very good structure.
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Drank as the opening wine to a four bottle evening with friends. I am on record as saying the Leonetti is an over rated winery and this bottle was equally disapointing. But to defend the bottle, I did commit two transgressions against a good pore. First I pulled the bottle bottle from my cellar just before popping the cork and drinking. The wine was not served and the proper tempature. Second, the bottle is just too old and past its prime. The Merlot just does not stand up to long cellaring.
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...read that this wine should have been enjoyed in 2008, but drank it in Oct. 2009. Wow...our first Leonetti and even at its advanced age, it did not disappoint! Quality of wine making was present from uncorking throughout the evening. Mouth feel is important to us and this seemed elogant and silky but not overly hedonistic. Great bottle!
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Definitely disappointing. Opened an hour before tasting and although color was fine the taste was less than exciting. This Leonetti Merlot just went to 'enjoy with dinner after work' classification.
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This wine is still firmly in its sweet spot. Aromas of marzipan, black fruits, herbs and mocha. Sweet ripe fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length. Tannins are ripe and fully integrated. Delicious to drink but not overly complex ... then again this is merlot!
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What a differnece a day makes. Day one had cherries, chocolate, and the biggest brown sugar streak i have experienced in a merlot. It also had a nasty vegetal component that merited a score in the low 80s.. On day two this had vanished and the wine was really a pleasure to drink. Tannins were resolved, with a precipitate actually plugging the bottle. Oak was surprisingly modest.
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This wine was on it's last leg. Definitely into the decline. Unbelievable bouquet. Would have scored the nose 95 points, but the palate was a different story. I'm sure this was an amazing wine 2 to 3 years ago. Very red berry on the front, strawberry, juicy, raspberries, etc...on the mid was lavender and sage. The back you could tast faint oak. I believe the oak will out live the fruit in this wine.
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Had a great nose, very floral and forest floor. Nice spices, soem black fruit, chewy tannins still present. I expected a bit more oomph from this wine. It was enjoyable however.
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This is my first bottle of domestic merlot in sometime. This bottle showed well right out of the gate. Bright almost neon purple color. What I got most on the nose was Rhubarb and american oak, maybe a bit too much of each for my taste. I did like this wine but one glass was more than enough.
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No tasting notes, comments from memory. Good fruit, with lots of dark red cheery but also accompanied by plenty of oak. Medium weight in the mouth. Seemed reasonably good from the start, but benefited from a little air. It seemed good, although a little heavy on the wood, but certainly not great.
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Not as bad as I thought was going to be. Medium bodied with a bit of fruit shining through. It's hard to believe there is any QPR here but interesting nonetheless.
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This wine had an initial full and lush impact on the palate. In addition to lots of ripe fruit it had a spicy, coffee taste. However, it also left a sensation of a herbal or green aftertaste and it faded fast. I expected the finish to be longer and a more exciting wine. It was tasted at dinner side by side with a 2000 Andrew Will Klipsun which all agreed was the better and more interesting wine. This affirms my view that Leonetti Merlots should be consumed soon after release.
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The nose screams of blueberries and 2X4s. The palate follows in kind. Unfortunately, this wines lacks the usual Leonetti fireworks. I find it full of fruit but rather boring.
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STG. While the nose was a touch high pitched, it showed graham crackers and sweet dark fruit. The palates offers some structure, candied blackberries and graham crackers. It ended with a long finish but overall was simple.
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Hmm, 89 or 90 points? I vacillated for a while. Graham cracker, clove, and cinnamon/cassia dominate the nose, although there is a bare hint of Merlot in the background with a slightly herbal element. On the palate this is lush and spicy with loads of vanilla and juicy blackberry and raspberry, trending more towards red fruit than black. The finish is medium in length and very spicy and smooth. These wines are so unique and interesting, yet freakish and not really to my personal taste. Alas, this was the one cult I chased too heavily as I started out collecting. It could be worse. I do enjoy them, but there are many other things I would rather drink on a daily basis. I have 18 Leonetti left, half Merlot and half Cabernet. I am going to drink them down and then be done with these. Any Seattle-ites, if you are itching to try one of these then find an excuse to come over and we will open a few.
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I served this to Tracy blind, and she really liked it. (Score 91) I was not blind for me, and I was not impressed. However, I don't think I am biased because of the label. I tend to like the hedonistic (in your face) element of Leonetti. This wine lacks the tell-tale Graham cracker nose. The nose shows smoke, blackberry, and vanilla cookie. The highlight of the wine is the incredibly lush, soft mouthfeel. It is truly wonderful. The palate shows a touch of green, blackberry, and smoke. The finish is fairly short. While there is nothing wrong with this wine, there is little memorable. The expression that keeps coming to mind is that this wine lacks character.
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2/16/2024 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Opaque garnet purple color. Nose of red currant, cedar, hot house flowers, holiday cake spice, hints of eucalyptus. Layers of red plum, blackberry, rich green pepper, earth, and saline on the silky palate. Moderate acidity and softened tannin. Long finish of haunting red fruit and spicy earth. Oh so great with grilled ribeye.
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11/18/2022 - RDB Wine Likes this wine: 70 Points
November 18, 2022. Drank from Bin North 16. Gift from Marc. Cork failure. Hint of cherry and blackberry. Medium dark purple. Soft even presentation touch of cherry then dry chalk finish. Less fruit now, but pleasant mature merlot. 7.0.
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9/1/2019 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Soft cork. Dark colour. Camphor, chocolate, red fruit, soft well-integrated tannins, good lift, some pickle-juice
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6/17/2018 - bajayngo wrote:
Drinking very well at age 18 and a nice pairing with smoked brisket. Hints of florals barrel notes, green peppers, fruit is more of an accent at this stage but holding, with some fresh turned soil. Still has a leathery tannin structure holding the wine together. Past it’s peak but it a very nice secondary and tertiary phase.
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3/25/2018 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Just a hint of bricking at the rim.
Nose is soft but not very expressive
Palate soft , silky and nice but not very interesting.
No flaws but not very exciting or interesting either.
I like it but don't love it.
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9/25/2017 - Trader Bill wrote: 88 Points
This wine was stored in a passive wine cellar and the cork was soft but the somme skillfully removed it with no damage using an Ah-So opener.
Very good fruit and well balanced...just about at its peak. A wonderful wine...had the somme take a taste back to the kitchen and he agreed. He had never seen or had a Leonetti before.
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7/11/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 90 Points
Similar to previous notes. Was hoping for more. Pleasant but feels faded - not really worth seeking out.
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4/21/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant but felt a bit congested. There was a wood tone that was pronounced. Some nice fruit and acidity but just a bit drab and backward; was hoping for more. I recently had the '03 Merlot and it was sublime - significantly better.
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7/18/2016 - spatchmo2 wrote: 88 Points
still a little left.
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6/11/2016 - Ron Slye wrote: 91 Points
Opened after an hour or two with the 1997 Leonetti Merlot. The three years difference is clearly evident here. The nose is a bit more focused, and more fruit forward, than the 97. The color is a bit brighter (the 97 is slightly cloudy). There are some smooth fine grained (yes, silky) tannins here [I have been trying to detect what I constantly read in some tasting notes, and this time I get it], and some tart red fruits on the palate. This is still alive (unlike the 97 which was good, but definitely on its last legs). There is more acidity, and a bit of tartness that hits the roof of the mouth, with this one. I would not expect it to get better with age, but it might hang around for a few more years.
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7/12/2015 - lirvingham Likes this wine: 93 Points
great. leonetti reaches it's peak 10+yrs out.
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12/31/2014 - saturnaisland wrote: 89 Points
A nice wine but not exactly what I was expecting. Rich red and black fruit flavours (the fruit has held up very well). Well integrated and well balanced. Medium to full bodied. But it didn't have the distinctive Leonetti oak influence that I recall from older vintages. A very enjoyable wine but not as unique or distinctive as I was expecting.
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5/16/2014 - Redwine1 wrote: 84 Points
Past it's prime but still drinkable
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8/23/2013 - Bgrahamdc wrote: 84 Points
Surprising life left that lasted about 40 minutes. Then it slowly faded away.
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7/22/2013 - Neecies wrote:
Opened to celebrate the life of Tammy Faye. Unfortunately, this hasn't matured in the most interesting way possible--tired, and oxidation looms.
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11/17/2012 - johnnyo wrote: 90 Points
Perhaps a little past peak but still very good.
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6/24/2011 - devman wrote: 92 Points
Tons of fruit left, and plenty of acid to keep it lively for a few more years.
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6/12/2011 - Rgehlen wrote: 89 Points
It could have cellared even longer than it did. Very intense up front fruit with an almost bright purple color. GREAT nose. A little disappointing in that it lacked the depth in the finish that I expected.
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10/30/2010 - le fouloir wrote: 87 Points
Disappointingly vegetal and past its prime. Drinkable and recognizable as a Leonetti, but just barely.
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7/24/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 92 Points
Surprise! This tasted excellent - I would have guessed it would be over the hill. Never really liked this wine before but this bottle was excellent - good fruit, not at all overoaked and with very good structure.
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7/11/2010 - hsacks wrote: 89 Points
Less fresh and a bit less balanced than the 3/29/09 bottle. Drink up!
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2/21/2010 - Falco203 wrote: 88 Points
Drank as the opening wine to a four bottle evening with friends. I am on record as saying the Leonetti is an over rated winery and this bottle was equally disapointing. But to defend the bottle, I did commit two transgressions against a good pore. First I pulled the bottle bottle from my cellar just before popping the cork and drinking. The wine was not served and the proper tempature. Second, the bottle is just too old and past its prime. The Merlot just does not stand up to long cellaring.
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2/6/2010 - bwolff wrote: 79 Points
Definitely past it's prime. Much better after being open a few hours.
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10/25/2009 - Wine4Jim wrote: 91 Points
...read that this wine should have been enjoyed in 2008, but drank it in Oct. 2009. Wow...our first Leonetti and even at its advanced age, it did not disappoint! Quality of wine making was present from uncorking throughout the evening. Mouth feel is important to us and this seemed elogant and silky but not overly hedonistic. Great bottle!
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10/18/2009 - NavyGrog wrote: 90 Points
Still aging well. Very fruity with a full bodied build. Very nice chocolatey nose.
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9/20/2009 - scalkins wrote: 85 Points
Definitely disappointing. Opened an hour before tasting and although color was fine the taste was less than exciting. This Leonetti Merlot just went to 'enjoy with dinner after work' classification.
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3/29/2009 - hsacks wrote: 91 Points
This wine is still firmly in its sweet spot. Aromas of marzipan, black fruits, herbs and mocha. Sweet ripe fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length. Tannins are ripe and fully integrated. Delicious to drink but not overly complex ... then again this is merlot!
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3/16/2009 - suttonri wrote: 90 Points
What a differnece a day makes. Day one had cherries, chocolate, and the biggest brown sugar streak i have experienced in a merlot. It also had a nasty vegetal component that merited a score in the low 80s.. On day two this had vanished and the wine was really a pleasure to drink. Tannins were resolved, with a precipitate actually plugging the bottle. Oak was surprisingly modest.
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1/18/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 78 Points
Football & Merlot @ Howard's 2009 (Old Greenwich, CT): Ripe and sickly sweet. Sour sugar plums.
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12/26/2008 - emdub wrote: 89 Points
This wine was on it's last leg. Definitely into the decline. Unbelievable bouquet. Would have scored the nose 95 points, but the palate was a different story. I'm sure this was an amazing wine 2 to 3 years ago. Very red berry on the front, strawberry, juicy, raspberries, etc...on the mid was lavender and sage. The back you could tast faint oak. I believe the oak will out live the fruit in this wine.
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5/12/2008 - Vinomarcus wrote: 89 Points
Had a great nose, very floral and forest floor. Nice spices, soem black fruit, chewy tannins still present. I expected a bit more oomph from this wine. It was enjoyable however.
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2/17/2008 - Blade wrote: 93 Points
Very tight - still - and much better the second night. Fruit came through nicely binding tanins very much in place.
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12/15/2007 - Mark wrote: 88 Points
No tasting notes recorded. Siimilar impression to my previous tasting in 2006
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11/25/2007 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 89 Points
This is my first bottle of domestic merlot in sometime. This bottle showed well right out of the gate. Bright almost neon purple color. What I got most on the nose was Rhubarb and american oak, maybe a bit too much of each for my taste. I did like this wine but one glass was more than enough.
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5/20/2007 - golfhawk wrote: 93 Points
Soft as velvetty smooth. Went great with the rack of lamb.
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5/11/2007 - wineboat wrote: 88 Points
this was still nice...cherries and plum on the nose with the dark fruit with a little spice- yet soft on the mouth - pleasant wine to enjoy.
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11/1/2006 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 84 Points
Graham cracker, spicy wood, soft fruit, fading a bit, pleasant but perhaps over the hill, sell others?
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9/14/2006 - Mark wrote: 88 Points
No tasting notes, comments from memory. Good fruit, with lots of dark red cheery but also accompanied by plenty of oak. Medium weight in the mouth. Seemed reasonably good from the start, but benefited from a little air. It seemed good, although a little heavy on the wood, but certainly not great.
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6/19/2006 - rherman wrote: 89 Points
Not as bad as I thought was going to be. Medium bodied with a bit of fruit shining through. It's hard to believe there is any QPR here but interesting nonetheless.
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10/11/2004 - Redteeth wrote: 87 Points
This wine had an initial full and lush impact on the palate. In addition to lots of ripe fruit it had a spicy, coffee taste. However, it also left a sensation of a herbal or green aftertaste and it faded fast. I expected the finish to be longer and a more exciting wine. It was tasted at dinner side by side with a 2000 Andrew Will Klipsun which all agreed was the better and more interesting wine. This affirms my view that Leonetti Merlots should be consumed soon after release.
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6/25/2004 - Jason wrote: 85 Points
The nose screams of blueberries and 2X4s. The palate follows in kind. Unfortunately, this wines lacks the usual Leonetti fireworks. I find it full of fruit but rather boring.
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4/16/2004 - Jason wrote: 86 Points
STG. While the nose was a touch high pitched, it showed graham crackers and sweet dark fruit. The palates offers some structure, candied blackberries and graham crackers. It ended with a long finish but overall was simple.
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4/16/2004 - ScottG wrote: 88 Points
WA Wine dinner at Kaspars: Big butter nose. Cherry, strawberry, vanilla, Lots of oak. Good wine, but not particularly suited for me.
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4/16/2004 - Eric wrote: 85 Points
Seattle Tasting Group Washington Wine Offline at Kaspar's (Seattle, WA, USA): The nose shows sawdust and graham cracker with vanilla and spicy oak on the palate. Not very interesting.
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3/30/2004 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
Hmm, 89 or 90 points? I vacillated for a while. Graham cracker, clove, and cinnamon/cassia dominate the nose, although there is a bare hint of Merlot in the background with a slightly herbal element. On the palate this is lush and spicy with loads of vanilla and juicy blackberry and raspberry, trending more towards red fruit than black. The finish is medium in length and very spicy and smooth. These wines are so unique and interesting, yet freakish and not really to my personal taste. Alas, this was the one cult I chased too heavily as I started out collecting. It could be worse. I do enjoy them, but there are many other things I would rather drink on a daily basis. I have 18 Leonetti left, half Merlot and half Cabernet. I am going to drink them down and then be done with these. Any Seattle-ites, if you are itching to try one of these then find an excuse to come over and we will open a few.
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2/21/2004 - Jason wrote: 87 Points
I served this to Tracy blind, and she really liked it. (Score 91) I was not blind for me, and I was not impressed. However, I don't think I am biased because of the label. I tend to like the hedonistic (in your face) element of Leonetti. This wine lacks the tell-tale Graham cracker nose. The nose shows smoke, blackberry, and vanilla cookie. The highlight of the wine is the incredibly lush, soft mouthfeel. It is truly wonderful. The palate shows a touch of green, blackberry, and smoke. The finish is fairly short. While there is nothing wrong with this wine, there is little memorable. The expression that keeps coming to mind is that this wine lacks character.
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1/9/2004 - EricBe wrote:
oh, my goodness is this wonderful. Had it with lamb and roast rosemary/garlic potatoes, wonderful finish, smooth initial taste.
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