Few Washington wineries have managed to produce the level of consistent greatness that Leonetti Cellar has achieved. Your first Leonetti Cellar wine was probably a seminal wine moment for you. Mine came roughly 20 years ago in college but I will never forget that bottle of 2000 Leonetti Cellar Merlot.
A few years back Leonetti decided to produce new wines to their lineup — all single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon wines from a range of sites throughout the Walla Walla Valley. I was amazed with the quality of their 2019s which was a vintage that could be very difficult for Bordeaux varietals with the early October freeze events. 2020 was another challenging vintage for most vintners. However, 2020 like 2019 is not a poor vintage but is instead a producer vintage where you must choose your wine purchases judiciously.
The 2020 single vineyard Cabernet wines by Leonetti are clean, not marred by any smoke influence. You can buy these with confidence. As with any great Washington wines produced in 2020, I recommend drinking them now. All of these new Leonetti wines benefit from an hour or more in the decanter. I absolutely adored the new high elevation 2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Loess Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) which is extremely concentrated and deep, with massive tannins right now. This is a stunning Washington Cabernet that will appeal to all collectors of Washington wines. Learn more at https://leonetticellar.com and here are my reviews of the incredible new single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon wines by Leonetti Cellar and winemaker Chris Figgins.
2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Holy Roller Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The beautiful 2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Holy Roller Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon has 17% Sangiovese blended in and comes from this very unique location in the Walla Walla Rocks District. The wine has a small portion of Sangiovese blended in, as this displays dark plum and tobacco leaf alongside wet stone on the nose. The palate is open and rich with a great core of black fruits alongside light stony and tilled soil undercurrents. This is a joy to drink right now. Drink 2023-2030- 96
2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Serra Pedace Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The Serra Peace Vineyard is located in the SeVein project in the southern part of the Walla Walla Valley that is set at 1200 feet.Very heady on the nose, this unveils layers of dark licorice, tar and tobacco leaf with shades of graphite. The palate is soft showing good concentration and underlying verve. Firm tannins hold together a deep core of black and blue fruits alongside stony undercurrents. This is fantastic stuff to savor now — and be sure to give this an hour in the decanter prior to consuming. Drink 2023-2030- 96
2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Loess Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon-Surely the most exotic of the single vineyard bottlings, the amazing 2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Loess Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from this high elevation site set at 1100 feet. This really needs an hour in the decanter before enjoying. Ripe huckleberry and blueberry fruits collide with copious minerals, wet rock and anise flavors on the palate. A show-stopper, this is a sensational wine that will be best enjoyed now and over the next seven years to come. Drink 2023-2030- 97
2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Mill Creek Upland Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon-Dense and massive, the outstanding 2020 Leonetti Cellar ‘Mill Creek Upland Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon has 8% Petit Verdot blended in and will surely satisfy any lover of Washington Cabernet Sauvignon. Sourced from this high-elevation location in the foothills of the Blueridge Mountains on the eastern side of the Walla Walla Valley, the wine shows off wintergreen notes alongside espresso grounds, dark chocolates shavings and shades of black licorice with stony undertones on the nose. The palate very smooth and concentrated with a seamless texture and wonderful stony/silty soil undertones. A deep core of dark fruits will greet you woven together with the pillowy mouthfeel. Give this an hour in the decanter before consuming. Drink 2023-2031- 96