It has sadly been more than a year since I sat across famed winemaker Chris Figgins and tasted with him. One of my fondest memories that I’ve shared with my fellow Arsenal supporter was a dinner at now closed RN74 in downtown Seattle. Chris has an affinity for fine cuisine and we spent an extraordinary evening together, reveling in his new wines and chatting about fine wine, travel, dining and the team we both support.
Leonetti has always been a highly traditional winery, making several wines each year and not branching out to new projects. They now have an amazing single vineyard project is a great chance for Chris to enter another element as a winemaker and the end results is quite extraordinary. He is also making Aglianico now for several years which is one of the unique wines made in our state.
Two nights ago I opened each bottle and tasted them over several hours, watching them evolve. The wines share a common thread of weight, poise and wonderful aging potential. Truly one of the unique wines made in Washington, I adored the 2015 Leonetti Cellar Aglianico (OB, 94) which is amongst the best New World expressions of this varietal that you will find. Similarly, the 2018 Leonetti Cellar Sangiovese (OB, 95) is round and generous as this beauty will cellar well for another fifteen years. The 2018 Leonetti Cellar ‘Reserve’ Red Wine (OB, 99) teeters on perfection in a bottle. Massive, dense and decadent, this hedonistic monster of a wine has a huge cellaring potential — potentially 30 plus years! This will be a great wine to revisit in five to ten years, as it needs a very long decant now. Learn more about these stunning new wines at http://leonetticellar.com/ Here are my reviews of the beautiful new Leonetti Cellar wines.
2018 Leonetti Cellar Sangiovese- Coming off the astonishingly good 2017 release, the 2018 edition is a sensational, one of a kind 100% varietal bottling that quite simply rivals any other in Sangiovese made in North America, including those I have tasted from Napa. Aged for 22 months in a combination of new and used French oak barrels, puncheons and oval botti, this wine shows off really good aromatic range from blood orange zest to red cherry candy and tobacco leaf, alongside shades of red currant jelly that all march in unison. The palate shows bright acidity and wonderful freshness. The purity of red fruit here is brilliant as layers of pomegranate seed, red raspberry cordial, and cran-cherry flavors mingle with minerals, pipe tobacco and smoky minerals on the palate. This finishes exceedingly long. Fantastic to enjoy at the three year mark, this will deliver drinking enjoyment for two decades to come. Drink 2021-2038- 95
2019 Leonetti Cellar Merlot- The 2018 Leonetti Cellar Merlot is another utterly fabulous effort by this top notch producer of Washington Merlot and superstar winemaker Chris Figgins. This 100% Merlot was sourced from the Seven Hills, Loess, Mill. Creek Upland and Leonetti Old Block Vineyards. The wine was aged in 15 months in new and used barrels and puncheons, as well as oval botti, prior to bottling. Ripe figs and huckleberry jam with tobacco and tar tones mark the nose. The heady aromatics bring you back to the glass for more. The palate is plush and highly concentrated, yet takes on an air of elegance with its wonderful verve. Layers of deep dark fruits collide with cocoa powder dusted espresso bean and shades of scorched on the palate. Intense and glorious in its youth, this beautiful new 2019 Merlot will cellar well for many decades to come. Be sure to give this a three plus hour decant if enjoying over the next several years. Drink 2024-2040- 95
2018 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon is a scintillating new effort that checks all the right boxes for Washington Cab. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon with 9% Merlot and smaller parts Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, the wine saw 22 months of barrel and oval botti age before bottling. The nose is downright beguiling. Layers of ripe dark currants and mocha mingle with Turkish coffee, blueberry compote and tar give this a feeling of decadence. The palate is fresh and dense, with a seamless texture. Creme de cassis, pipe tobacco, coffee grounds and shades of blackberry pie all come together marvelously on the palate. This deftly walks the tightrope between hedonistic and highly structured. Gorgeous even now at the three year mark after some air, the 2018 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon will be extremely long-aged. Drink 2024-2048- 97
2015 Leonetti Aglianico- The 2015 Leonetti Aglianico is a sensational wine from this somewhat challenging vintage for red wines. This saw a whopping 44 months in terracotta amphorae and new, as well as once filled French oak barrels before bottling. The nose is intense with roasted dates and espresso bean tones alongside boysenberry cordial, tobacco and leather tones, giving plenty of rustic appeal. Now at the six year mark, the vibrant acidity is really impressive, as is the seamless texture. Rich dark fruits and creosote tones mingle with damp earth and tobacco on the palate. Gorgeous now, this has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2038- 94
2018 Leonetti ‘Reserve’ Red Wine- The 2018 Leonetti ‘Reserve’ Red Wine by Chris Figgins might be one of the finest wines ever made by him. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with equal parts Malbec and Petit Verdot, the wine saw 22 months in new and once used French oak barrels prior to bottling. A brooding, inky purple, this shows its flamboyant side with creosote and espresso bean alongside blueberry compote, black licorice and creme de violette aromatics hat all take shape in the glass. The palate is plush and impressively tannic, with a seamless texture and dense mouthfeel. One sip and you’ll be sure to find this unbelievably good with its massive core of black and blue fruits. This is a legendary, massive wine that really needs some time in the cellar to tame. Try not to touch this beauty for five years. Drink 2025-2055- 99