2016 Leonetti Mill Creek Upland
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Tasting notes
Bright, saturated ruby-red. Dark aromas of blueberry, violet, bitter chocolate and minerals; I would have guessed this wine contained some Malbec. Concentrated and fat if in a rather brawny style, with its flavors of black raspberry, licorice, mocha and minerals carrying a full load of new oak and huge tannins. Finishes broad-shouldered and very dry. Although this wine shows no easy sweetness today, if softened dramatically with air to show stunning chocolatey richness. (100% new oak)
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Available to members only, the 2016 Mill Creek Upland Vineyard Red Wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Petit Verdot that wafts with expressions of an abundant black-fruited core, dusty black plum, blackberry and crème de cassis. Full-bodied on the palate, the mouthfeel bursts with a rich and velvety texture that is dense and chewy toward the mid-palate. The wine ends with a powerful and finessed finish with structured and lingering tannins that will carry this expression for years to come. Only 73 cases made.
The 2016 Mill Creek Upland Vineyard comes from a site in the Walla Walla Valley and is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Petit Verdot. It's deeply colored and offers a fresh, classic style in its cassis, tobacco leaf, earth, and forest floor-like aromas and flavors. Deep, rich, concentrated, and just perfectly balanced, it has building tannins and is going to benefit from short-term cellaring. It's a killer wine! Unfortunately, it’s a tiny production cuvée released only to the mailing list.