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.
77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 4% Carmenere and 3% Malbec from the estate vineyards. Decanted for 90 minutes.
Purple in color 14.6% ABV. Breathtaking nose of black fruits, Whitman Sampler Box, molten licorice and scorched earth. Rich, plush and concentrated. Incredibly opulent. Black currants, cassis liqueur, black raspberry and cocoa on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with super silky tannins. Stunning Cabernet Sauvignon that is aging brilliantly. I have a single bottle left that I will check in on 2025.
My rating: 97 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.