2011 Leonetti Walla Walla Reserve
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Tasting notes
Vivid raspberry and sweet herbs evolve into earth tones, chalk dust and rose as the 2011 Red Wine Reserve comes to life in the glass. This child of a cool vintage is sleek and racy in style, with a balance of tart red plums and strawberries that echo throughout. It finishes with considerable length, yet light on its feet, with nuances of sour citrus and residual acidity that add a mouthwatering quality. It’s an incredibly gastronomic vintage, and it’s drinking beautifully. Chris Figgins explained "It was just so cold. We finished harvest in the beginning of November.”
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(14.1% alcohol; 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 7% each petit verdot and Cabernet Franc): Bright, dark ruby-red. I might have identified this as a white wine from the nose, which offers citrus and gooseberry aromas lifted by a floral topnote. Then pure and intense in the mouth, with an element of citrus zest, suggestions of tropical fruits and a strong sour cherry candy quality that reminded me of a top Pomerol. Very densely packed, savory and dry, with strong acidity giving it a light touch. The wine’s serious tannic spine calls for extended cellaring. A singular wine with great eclat—but will it ever surpass the estate’s flagship cabernet bottling?
The 2011 Reserve is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc that spent 20 months in once-filled French oak barrels. Offering more black cherry, black currant, licorice, tobacco and spring flower-like qualities on the nose, this serious 2011 has fantastic mid-palate depth, integrated acidity and a medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant personality that’s hard to resist. It too will drink beautifully through 2031. While Chris’s 2011s are a fair step back from his smoking good 2010s, they nevertheless possess lively, fresh and elegant characters as well as solid richness. They’re certainly of high quality and worth checking out. His 2012s will be even better, and they have deeper, richer mid-palates and additional structure. Tel. (509) 525-1428; www.leonetticellar.com