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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.8 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 39 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Barolo Freak on 7/8/2023 & rated 85 points: My first time tasting a Leonetti wine, and I'm not impressed. I let my wine sit in a decanter for three hours, and then I poured. I detected the aroma of Campho, and I tasted a bit of Chocolate on the finish. This is a truly unremarkable wine that I sipped over a three evening's with consistent notes. Is it worth $110? I think not. (2076 views) | | | Tasted by Inforred on 7/4/2023 & rated 94 points: Generous bouquet of dark red fruit and graphite. Rich and lush mouthfeel, with ripe (but not over-ripe) fruit. Engaging. Complex, and well balanced. Tannins noticeable but not harsh. Long finish. Very enjoyable (1646 views) | | | Tasted by randyjc on 6/25/2023 & rated 94 points: Day two notes. Assertive aromatics - Mediterranean spices, oak and alcohol. Smells like it’s going to be a really big wine. But in the mouth it’s controlled, even elegant. Silky caress on the palate - remarkably smooth. Flavors are deep and enticing - I’m surprised by how much I like this wine. I’ve always felt that Leonetti is unfairly regarded more highly than Andrew Will. Okay - so maybe…. Blackberry and spice, an earthy minerality, old forest decomposing wood and, making an appearance on the finish, black raspberry. This is lovely with a finish of nearly sixty seconds. Quite impressive. (1970 views) | | | Tasted by mats13 on 6/19/2023 & rated 94 points: Drinking a lot of Leonetti this summer. Loving every sip. (1867 views) | | | Tasted by SirWilliam on 3/4/2023: In a great spot right now. Opened up nicely after a few hours, but was also great right after opening. Drink now but you can definitely hold and wait! (1316 views) | | | Tasted by Bottle Dog on 3/4/2023 & rated 96 points: After 30 min decant, slightly opaque, dark red, long silky legs. Massive nose of ripe red fruits, pine/forest floor, mushrooms, leather and cigar smoke. Awesome. On the palate, still tight and young, big tannins but very well balanced. Cherries, cedar, gravel, awesome. I imagine that with more decant and ageing this will become even more impressive. I love it. Match with a red steak and grilled veggies and let the hedonism unfold. I wish I had more. (2223 views) | | | Tasted by WineTimeFineTime on 9/10/2022 & rated 94 points: Sumptuous plum, maybe even baked plum, graphite, maybe cocoa, and really well integrated tannins and heat. Vanilla, baking spices, maybe some white pepper. There's oak but it's integrated, not in your face. Great structure, tight body and a flavorful finish. (2191 views) | | | Tasted by mancuta on 5/28/2022 & rated 89 points: Enjoyed first half of bottle, second half was ok; decanted. Good tannin structure at first then seemed to dissipate completely and evolved into dark fruit with vanilla. At first there was blackberry, coffee, dark chocolate spice. (2709 views) | | | Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 3/12/2022 & rated 93 points: MN Valley Fine Wine Tasting Meetup $100 Plus Wine Event (Minneapolis, MN): Surprised this did not get more votes but I liked it. Plum, spice, cherry, floral notes and firm tannins. This is young but has great potential. Medium plus finish. 93 points (3521 views) | | | Tasted by Jake112380 on 2/18/2022: Had in a blind horizontal of 3 2016 Cabs. 1st of 3 (Trust Stones Throw, Den Hoed Marie’s View, and Leonetti). Classic cab. Cassis, leather, and oak aromas. Similar flavors, with very slight herbal influence. Bigger bodied with solid but smooth tannins. Long, black fruit finish. (2741 views) | | | Tasted by Loricraw on 12/2/2021 & rated 95 points: Thanksgiving 2021 (3120 views) | | | Tasted by bjamesclark on 11/21/2021 & rated 93 points: Long decant given.
Once in the glass, rich aromas are deep showing crème de cassis, muddled dark cherry and fig paste that fold into scents of chocolate, vanilla, black licorice, fine leather, liquid violets, oak spice and hints of burnt sugar and tobacco.
The palate is rich, but balanced; opulent. Suave, fine tannins and structured acidity and alcohol are in harmony. The palate is saturated in flavors of cassis, cocoa, black licorice, floral pastilles, fig paste, vanilla crème, leather and oak. The plush finish hangs on at length. (2527 views) | | | Tasted by jeffmudd on 10/21/2021 & rated 94 points: Still in my opinion the best WA producer of Cabernet. (2515 views) | | | Tasted by Swanywawa on 2/14/2021 & rated 97 points: Decanted for 3 hours. The lavender and rosemary is still on the nose although it’s very meaty. Cassis, espresso and tobacco across the palate with a round mouthed finish that lingers. Truly fabulous wine paired with Roquefort topped tenderloin. (4244 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 2/1/2021: Opened and moved to decanter about 4-5 hours before serving for aeration, an effort that failed to provide anything close to the evolution hoped for. Obviously delicious but clunky as a food wine with braised lamb shanks and thrown serious shade in that endeavor by a modest Priorat. Will get better; HOLD. (3922 views) | | | Tasted by gpubols on 10/30/2020: Delicious (3935 views) | | | Tasted by BrunelloBob on 10/25/2020 & rated 90 points: Called this Washington Cab semi blind. I'm more a California dude. (3835 views) | | | Tasted by MADV on 10/22/2020 & rated 96 points: Great wine. Buy it. (3505 views) | | | Tasted by mats13 on 9/24/2020 & rated 94 points: Young, but accessible. Silky tannin. (2979 views) | | | Tasted by wineotim on 6/30/2020 & rated 93 points: I have fond memories of older vintages of this wine, the days when it had tension and complexity and depth and density and not being heavy, I digress. This wine is a Napa style fruit bomb, it doesn't distinguish itself like say Quilceda Creek does. Three days to finish this and I was expecting to score this much higher, a generous 93 pts. (3557 views) | | | Tasted by Swanywawa on 6/20/2020 & rated 96 points: Decanted for half hour. Nose of Black Cherry, rosemary, lavender and coffee after it opened up some. Silky smooth across the palate with dark cassis, spices and a bit of tobacco. Long finish, not over-powered by tannins. Very enjoyable experience! (2587 views) | | | Tasted by Bottle Dog on 6/11/2020 & rated 96 points: After 30 min decant, slightly opaque, dark red, long silky legs. Massive nose of ripe red fruits, pine/forest floor, mushrooms, leather and cigar smoke. Awesome. On the palate, still tight and young, big tannins but very well balanced. Cherries, cedar, gravel, awesome. I imagine that with more decant and ageing this will become even more impressive. I love it. Match with a red steak and grilled veggies and let the hedonism unfold. I wish I had more. (521 views) | | | Tasted by soyhead on 11/20/2019: nose - cinnamon, barrel spice
mouth - cornucopia of fruits with prominent barrel spice. the tannins are prominent but not overwhelming. made in a way that's very much ready to drink, though frankly i find it somewhat non-descript. i recommend they tone down the oak. (4332 views) | | | Tasted by Cincinnatus on 9/28/2019 & rated 94 points: Dark ruby color, long, fast legs, faint tobacco in the nose, black currant, cherries, spice. My wife gets more spice than fruit. I get more fruit than spice, but the spice is definitely there. Medium to full bodied. The last Leonetti we had was in the early 90's and we both recall a big, tannic, classic, black currant dominant wine. This wine seems to be softer, more refined, maybe more complex, but subdued by comparison with my memory - which could be very flawed. I was expecting the big, classic, tannic, cabernet, and what we got is certainly very good. But, not what we were expecting. Fortunately, we have a few more bottles so, with time, we will see how it develops and how our tastes develop. (4104 views) | | | Tasted by akpace on 8/14/2019 & rated 93 points: Very nice, earth, berry, vanilla, leather, will age well (3995 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, New Releases from Washington: A Bonanza for Consumers (Dec 2019) (12/1/2019)
(Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Washington Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (4/27/2019)
(Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, The 2016s From Washington State (4/11/2019)
(Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Paul Zitarelli
Full Pull, Full Pull Leonetti (3/24/2019)
(Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon) Hello friends. Today we have one of our annual Full Pull rites: new releases from the inimitable Leonetti Cellars. Deep in the stubborn gloom of March, it’s a bud pushing through cold earth: a clear indication that spring is on the ascendancy. It’s one of my favorite offers to write each year. After all, it isn’t every day that you get to write about the grand dame of the Walla Walla Valley, the founding winery in that AVA that quickly became one of Washington’s few cult producers. Founded in 1978 by Gary Figgins, Leonetti rapidly established a reputation as one of Washington’s top Cabernet and Merlot producers, helped along by their 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon being recognized as best in nation in a Wine & Spirits Magazine blind tasting. Brisk mailing list sales followed, and soon thereafter, the mailing list closed and the waiting list opened. Currently it’s the second generation helming the winery, in the form of Chris Figgins. Chris has subtly shifted the emphasis of the winery towards its estate vineyards over the past decade, and the results have been outstanding. I have also been lucky enough to taste vintages of Leonetti wines from the ‘80s and ‘90s, as well as plenty of more recent vintages. These are wines that can age in profoundly beautiful directions (if you can resist their youthful charms). The transition to Leonetti’s second generation is just about complete, and the future for this Mt. Rushmore-level Washington winery looks bright indeed. Now, a quick logistics reminder: This is a pre-release offering, where we’re sending the offer before we know our allocations. Using this model allows us to advocate on behalf of our list for allocations that most accurately reflect our overall demand. The flip side is: some pre-release offerings turn out to be mirage wines: wines where we end up receiving smaller-than-expected allocations and then need to under-allocate. Apologies in advance if that’s the case here. As far as timing goes, we should be able to send out allocation notices in 1-2 weeks (orders will remain Pending until then), and the wines should arrive by mid-April. Now let’s dig into them: First produced in Leonetti’s inaugural vintage – 1978 – this 2016 marks the 39th consecutive vintage of Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon. This comes from all five Leonetti Estate sites: Mill Creek Upland, Loess, Leonetti Old Block, Serra Pedace (location here, on the basalt outcroppings of Sevein), and Holy Roller (pic here), Leonetti’s new Rocks vineyard, just online with the 2016 vintage; exciting!). The blend includes 13% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, and 2% Merlot, and it spent 22 months in new French oak barrels, once-filled French oak barrels, and neutral French oak barrels and botti. Listed alc is 14.4%. No reviews yet for the 2015, but the 2012 received 96pts Dunnuck, the 2013 96pts Dunnuck, the 2014 96pts Bargreen, and the 2015 97pts Suckling and 96pts Dunnuck. Winery tasting notes: Penetratingly dark. Exhibiting a wonderfully complex nose of dried rosemary, sage, and lavender with subtle aromas of coffee and toffee. Remarkably refined with fantastic secondary notes – unusual in a wine this young. Delicious plum and blackberry saturate the palate and lead to a long and lush finish with soft tannins – truly emblematic of the delightful 2016 vintage. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JamesSuckling.com and JebDunnuck.com and Full Pull. (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.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican 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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