2015 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Bright ruby-red. Aromas of musky black raspberry and bitter chocolate. Wonderfully sweet, fat and deep; a ripe, spicy fruit bomb of a Cabernet, with plush, concentrated raspberry fruit carrying through to a very long finish featuring refined tannins. Chris Figgins noted that the harvest in 2015 was very early (he started picking his Merlot on August 26, the first time he has harvested this fruit before Labor Day), but that a lot of the growing season's heat units were accumulated after the harvest, noting that 1998 and 2009 yielded 'a hotter style of wines.' (ST)
Critic scores
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon opens in the glass with a lovely bouquet of crushed blackcurrants, dark plums, mocha and a subtle framing of expensive new oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and richly tannic, with good energy to its crunchy core of nicely concentrated fruit and a youthfully chewy, fine-grained finish. The tannic fist of the vintage does make itself felt, but by no means as assertively as in the 2015 Sangiovese. So, while this is never going to be the most elegant vintage of the Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon, it should reward 2 or 3 years in the cellar and drink well for a decade thereafter.
The classic 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc that spent 22 months in new, once-used and neutral oak. Its purple/blue color is followed by fabulous notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil, tobacco, and graphite. Deep, rich, and opulent, with a sexy, full-bodied, incredibly pure style, it's already impossible to resist but is going to keep for two decades. This was another terrific lineup from winemaker Chris Figgins, who never seems to miss a step. Both of his Cabernet Sauvignon releases are brilliant wines that check-in near the top of the vintage, but readers also shouldn’t miss his straight Merlot and Sangiovese.
The blackcurrant and blueberry aromas are impressive with hints of mint. Full-bodied, yet tight and composed with plenty of tight, ripe tannins and a flavorful finish.