2004 Leonetti Walla Walla Reserve
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A beautifully mature bouquet of spiced orange, fall leaves, underbrush and dried black cherries wafts up from the 2004 Red Wine Reserve. Silky-smooth and enveloping, this impresses further with its mineral-tinged red fruits and inner florals, taking on a twang of sour citrus toward the close. The 2004 is in a lovely place today, still energetic and spry, yet with a subtle hint of fine tannin that resonates. This spicy Red Wine Reserve is impossible to ignore.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
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(a blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 13% petit verdot; entirely from the Figgins family's Mill Creek Upland vineyard east of Walla Walla, planted in 1997) Saturated, bright ruby. Knockout nose exudes boysenberry, blackberry, espresso bean and bitter chocolate. Wonderfully silky and suave on entry, then lush and full in the middle, with nervy acidity leavening the wine's almost confectionery sweetness. Finishes with huge, broad, building tannins that are outlasted by flavors of dark berries and Belgian chocolate. Figgins told me he marginally prefers the 2003 bottling for its density and intensity, but I wouldn't kick either one out of bed.
There are only 670 cases of the 2004 Reserve, a wine composed of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 11% Petit Verdot (a grape which does amazingly well in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley AVAs). It spent 22 months in a combination of new French barriques and larger French oak. The aromatics feature pain grille, floral elements (especially violets), truffle, spice box, cassis, and black currants. Supple-textured, dense, and full-flavored, the wine has enough structure for up to a decade of cellaring and should drink well through 2040. Tel. (509) 525-1428, www.leonetticellar.com