2010 Walla Walla Reserve
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Tasting notes
Dusty and floral, the cool vintage 2010 Red Wine Reserve lifts from the glass with a blend of dried strawberries and savory herbal tones offset by white smoke. Elegant and nearly plush in feel, this coasts across the palate with a wave of ripe wild berry fruits, gaining traction toward the close as grippy tannins slowly settle in. The 2010 finishes with a balsamic edge, yet also amazingly fresh, traversing exotic spices, licorice and a crunchy bite of pomegranate. The 2010 is classic to the core and has an amazingly bright future for readers who can be patient.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(14.4% alcohol; 52% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 9% each cabernet franc and malbec): Dark ruby-red. Cassis, licorice and bitter chocolate aromas are complicated by tobacco, menthol and spicecake and lifted by a floral topnote. Large-scaled and superripe, with a more obvious glyceral sweetness than the 2010 cabernet. This remarkably voluminous yet lively and balanced blend shows captivating spicy lift to its dark berry, black cherry and chocolate flavors. The slowly building, very long finish shows huge, tooth-dusting tannins that seem a bit rougher than those of the cabernet, but this wine just needs an extended snooze in a cool cellar.
Even better than the straight Cabernet Sauvignon, with additional richness and texture, yet without any added weight or heaviness, the perfect 2010 Reserve is comprised of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 9% Malbec that spent 22 months in new and used French oak. Inky purple in color and gorgeously rich and pure, it slowly gives up notions of smoked black currants, espresso, liquid flower, licorice and graphite that flow to a full-bodied, concentrated, plush and seamless 2010 that is perfectly balanced, has no hard edges and an incredible finish. It’s a monumental bottle of wine that will drink well at an early age, yet age effortlessly for two decades or more. Drink now-2030. Located in Walla Walla, made by Chris Figgins and a benchmark estate, Leonetti Cellars produces seriously rich efforts that have a perfect blend of power and finesse, with gorgeously managed tannin, seamless textures and awesome purity. While the 2010s here are some of the greatest wines of the vintage, the 2011s are more fresh, up-front and will be approachable at an earlier stage. leonetticellar.com