Leonetti Cellar: A Washington State Great!

Last night, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant with new friends.  One of the aspects of wine that I truly love is sharing it with others.  I most certainly enjoy bringing new or special bottles to those who appreciate the experience.  On this night, I brought a white and a red.  The red was a 2005 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla region in the state of Washington.  This is a wine that I received as a gift and let rest for a while to have the flavors evolve.  It was a wonderful bottle.  It presented rich, dark fruit with a dusty finish that went on and on.  Silly as it seems, I timed it once, and the finish lingered for 45 seconds.

Washington State has five major growing areas:

1. Puget Sound

2. Columbia Valley

3. Yakima Valley

4. Red Mountain

5. Walla Walla

While the state is known for it rain, all but the first of the regions listed above are in the dry, warm, eastern section of the state.  It is here that the Cascade Range serves as a shield, producing an arid, desert like area where these wineries flourish.

The state produces many varietals, with Cabernet and Merlot leading the way.  Whites that flow from the state are Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.  While the area produces powerful reds, it’s also known for many everyday, affordable cabernets and merlots — true value wines that I have shared previously (Stocking Stuffers and Great Buys from the Northwest).

Ah yes, back to Leonetti.  I have found their wines to be well-crafted, powerful wines that provide great pleasure.  I once shared their Sangiovese with friends who said it was the best wine they had ever had.  Their wines are well worth the money for a special experience.

Here is what Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible has to say about them:  “Leonetti Cellar, the states most prestigious small winery, makes Merlots and Cabernets that are now deemed by some to be the best red wines in the United States.”

That is a big statement and worth your personal investigation.  Here is the review of the 2005 Leonetti Cabernet that we drank.  This is taken from Wine Advocate:

“The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon includes 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 4% Carmenere, and 2% Malbec in the blend. Purple-colored, it offers up notes of pain grille; pencil lead, Asian spices, black currants, and plum. It conceals enough structure to evolve for 4-6 years and the wine admirably balances power and elegance. Drink it from 2014 to 2030. Founded in 1978 by Gary Figgins, Leonetti Cellar remains a benchmark Washington winery.  Shortly the winery will be in a position to achieve its goal of producing all of its wines from estate-grown Walla Walla vineyards.  Gary’s son Chris has taken over much of the day-to-day operation of the winery and in particular the viticultural component.”  Jay Miller – the Wine Advocate.

Enjoy!