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 part of Figgins Family Wine Estates. Chris Figgins is now in charge of the winemaking.
92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc from the estate vineyards.
Dark crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Heady nose of black fruits, smoke, scorched earth and Whitman Sampler box. Medium to full bodied with tremendous balance. Power and structure in spades. Black currants, cassis liqueur, dark chocolate and spice on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with silky, fine grained tannins. This Merlot is delicious now but will certainly benefit with more time in the cellar. Best over the next 4-6 years.
My rating: 94 points.
Leonetti was one of my very first mailing lists. Twenty five years later I am still a buyer and the wines are better than ever. The winery has done an exceptional job at holding the line on prices. Although the mailing list is full and the waiting list is long the wine is readily available at retail in late March. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2019 Merlot were released this past Spring and the Single Vineyard series will be released sometime this Fall.
Also consider reading The Wines of Chris Figgins and Barrel Tasting With Chris Figgins.