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.
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
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The nose was dark yet zesty, showing woodland herbs against polished black fruits, dried florals, and sweet spices. On the palate, I found silky textures, offset by cool-toned acidity, as fresh black fruits enveloped the senses, washed clean by another burst of acid and saturating minerality, creating a wonderfully balanced expression. The finish was long, as saturating dark fruits and minerals gave way to sneaky tannins, leaving an impression of youth but also one of pure satisfaction. I love it when the hype is justified.
7/8/2023 - Barolo Freak wrote: 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.
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7/4/2023 - Inforred Likes this wine: 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
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6/25/2023 - randyjc wrote: 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.
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6/19/2023 - mats13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking a lot of Leonetti this summer. Loving every sip.
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3/4/2023 - Bottle Dog Likes this wine: 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.
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3/4/2023 - SirWilliam Likes this wine:
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!
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9/10/2022 - WineTimeFineTime Likes this wine: 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.
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5/28/2022 - mancuta Likes this wine: 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.
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3/12/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 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
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2/18/2022 - Jake112380 Likes this wine:
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.
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12/2/2021 - Loricraw wrote: 95 Points
Thanksgiving 2021
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11/21/2021 - bjamesclark wrote: 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.
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10/21/2021 - jeffmudd Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still in my opinion the best WA producer of Cabernet.
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2/14/2021 - Swanywawa Likes this wine: 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.
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2/1/2021 - Neecies Likes this wine:
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.
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10/30/2020 - gpubols Likes this wine:
Delicious
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10/25/2020 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
Called this Washington Cab semi blind. I'm more a California dude.
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10/22/2020 - MADV wrote: 96 Points
Great wine. Buy it.
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9/24/2020 - mats13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young, but accessible. Silky tannin.
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6/30/2020 - wineotim wrote: 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.
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6/20/2020 - Swanywawa Likes this wine: 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!
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6/11/2020 - Bottle Dog wrote: 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.
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11/20/2019 - soyhead wrote:
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.
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9/28/2019 - Cincinnatus Likes this wine: 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.
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8/14/2019 - akpace wrote: 93 Points
Very nice, earth, berry, vanilla, leather, will age well
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6/28/2019 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 96 Points
The nose was dark yet zesty, showing woodland herbs against polished black fruits, dried florals, and sweet spices. On the palate, I found silky textures, offset by cool-toned acidity, as fresh black fruits enveloped the senses, washed clean by another burst of acid and saturating minerality, creating a wonderfully balanced expression. The finish was long, as saturating dark fruits and minerals gave way to sneaky tannins, leaving an impression of youth but also one of pure satisfaction. I love it when the hype is justified.
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