2016 Leonetti Walla Walla Reserve
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Tasting notes
The 2016 is dark and earthy in the glass, with a captivating bouquet of exotic spices and dusty dried flowers giving way to black raspberries and fresh mint. It's soft and round, with ripe red and black fruits elevated by juicy acidity. The 2016 is already quite enjoyable today, finishing remarkably fresh and clean, leaving only a subtle coating of tannins and hints of sour cherry that add a lovely tension. In 2016, only about 1/3 of the fruit was picked before rain moved into the area in October. The result is a softer, more accessible, yet still highly enjoyable Reserve.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Bright red-ruby. Very dark, vibrant scents and flavors of blackberry, cassis, boysenberry, licorice and violet. Incredibly silky and concentrated on the palate, with terrific mineral lift intensifying the wine's fruit. The remarkably long, slowly building finish features noble tannins. It's hard to scrape this off the palate, and yet this brilliant wine shows no excess weight. Incidentally, this wine is made from all four of the estate's vineyards plus some old vines in Seven Hills. Should be very long-lived.
A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Walla Walla Reserve is the king of the range with expressive, bold fruit that demonstrates finesse and power, with crème de cassis, blackberry skin and dark cherry jus that connects with a spiced core and oaky essence on the nose. Full-bodied on the palate, the wine bursts with flavor teeming with tension and ripe tannins that will carry this for decades to come. Lush and round, it ends with a long, thought-provoking finish with impeccable balance. 911 cases produced.
Beautifully stylish, this is a complex, youthful red with attractive, barrel-derived charcuterie, built around precisely ripe blackcurrants, red plums and dark cherries, as well as cedary-tobacco nuances and dark chocolate. So classic. The palate has a succulent, smooth and astutely groomed texture with tannins that are so nicely worked and deliver length with elegance. Black-cherry, blood-plum and dark-chocolate flavors abound. A blend of 73% cabernet sauvignon, 22% malbec and 5% cabernet franc. Try from 2024.