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Leonetti Cellar, Merlot Walla Walla Valley, 2001

Red Wine from Washington, United States
$89.99
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This is a mature Walla Walla Merlot from 2001, a year Leonetti called about as close to a perfect vintage as the valley could hope for. Poor weather at bloom cut the crop short. Then came a warm, sunny summer without the usual triple-digit heat spikes, and harvest started about a week early. That small crop gave dense, concentrated fruit. Leonetti sees Merlot as a grape that stands on its own in Walla Walla, not as Cabernet's understudy. The winery plants it in its cooler vineyards so the grapes keep their natural acidity while they ripen fully, and that freshness is what lets a wine like this age. 2001 was also the year Chris Figgins became Leonetti's head winemaker. A decade later, when Gary Figgins retired, he took over the whole estate. Washington Merlot doesn't often get two decades in bottle to show what it can do, and this one has had them.

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Antonio Galloni

90 points

"Bright ruby. Primary aromas of black raspberry, licorice and espresso complemented by sexy oak. Penetrating and intensely flavored, with a tight, sweet kernel of dark fruit flavor. Quite bright and shapely, but really needs another year or so in the bottle to show greater complexity." —Stephen Tanzer

Robert Parker

90 points

"Cedar spices dominate the nose of the 2001 Merlot. A well-structured, medium-bodied wine, it offers loads of blackberry flavors in its broad, lengthy personality. It should be drunk over the next 4 years." —Pierre Rovani

Wine Enthusiast

92 points

"This may be less oaky and more fruit-driven than previous Leonetti Merlots, which means it is more food-ready and probably built for a longer lifetime. The fruit is perfectly ripe, concentrated and spicy with exceptional length and precision. Very young and compact, this is extraordinary Merlot. World class." —Paul Gregutt

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More about Leonetti Cellar

Leonetti is where Walla Walla wine begins. When Gary Figgins bonded his winery in 1977 it was the first in the valley, and within a few years his Cabernet and Merlot had put Washington State on the map of serious American red wine.

The name honors Gary's maternal grandparents, Frank and Rose Leonetti, Italian immigrants who farmed just southwest of Walla Walla and made homemade wine from their own grapes. Gary planted his first acre of Cabernet Sauvignon on the old family farmstead in 1974 and made the early vintages in the basement of the family home. Gary and his wife Nancy's son Chris joined in 1996 and took over as head winemaker in 2001; their daughter Amy came back in 2007, and since Gary and Nancy retired in 2018 the two siblings have run the winery.

The fruit now comes largely from the family's own vineyards around the valley, including the original Old Block beside the winery, the Loess hillside vineyard, the high Mill Creek Upland site and Holy Roller across the Oregon line, plus shares in the respected Seven Hills and SeVein vineyards. The range centers on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a Reserve red blend, with Sangiovese alongside. Expect ripe, dark-fruited, polished reds with the structure to age for decades.

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Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Merlot

  • Vintage

    2001

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Sustainable

  • Style

    Elegant

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Full Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Roast duck breast with cherry sauce; rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic; wild mushroom risotto; beef tenderloin with a red wine and shallot reduction; aged Gouda or Comté.

Tasting Profile

Expect Leonetti's house style for Walla Walla Merlot: focused black cherry and plum fruit, the bright natural acidity of cool-site grapes, and silky, refined tannins. Think a riper, fuller Right Bank Bordeaux. With bottle age, the style typically softens toward dried fruit, earth and tobacco leaf, finishing dry, long and balanced.

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