Leonetti Cellar was founded in 1977 by Gary and Nancy Figgins. Leonetti, along with Quilceda Creek and Woodward Canyon put premium Washington Cabernet Sauvignon on the radar of wine consumers across the United States. Leonetti also produces one of the very best domestic Merlots.
Leonetti is near and dear to me as a wine consumer, and I’ve been on their mailing list for 15 years. Vintages like the ’92 Merlot and ’98 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon are included among my most memorable wines.
Fruit from Leonetti Estate, Mill Creek Upland, Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge Vineyards. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Carmenere. 14.4% ABV. Still a brilliant purple in color. Heady aromas of black cherry, black licorice and spice. Cassis, cocoa, leather, raspberries, plums, currants and cherries on the palate. Richly textured with great acidity. Properly cellared bottles will drink well for at least another decade.
My rating: 94 points.
Leonetti has a full mailing list but the wine is readily available at retail in late-March. The winery has done an exceptional job at holding the line on prices and you should be able to find bottles right around $85.
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Tom, enjoyed the note. 02 was my wedding year. How similar is this to the Figgins wine?
Close in style but different philosophies. Figgins is single vineyard while Leonetti is multiple vineyards. You could probably make a comparison to some of the Mike Smith labels or Thomas Rivers-Brown labels. Going forward I will be buying both wines.