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Leonetti Cellar, Merlot Walla Walla Valley, 1999

Red Wine from Washington, United States
$89.99
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Leonetti calls 1999 its "miracle vintage," and this Merlot shows why: a year that looked lost by midsummer turned into one of the stellar ones. The season started very cool and stayed that way through July, so the grapes were well behind going into August. The team responded by thinning clusters hard, by hand, so the fruit that remained could ripen fully. Then the weather turned sunny and hot from August well into October, which gave them the late finish they needed. Leonetti grows its Merlot in its cooler vineyards to keep natural acidity in the grapes as they ripen, and the cool start to 1999 left this wine with good acid balance to match its richness. The winery says its Merlot is built to age 15 to 25 years, so this bottle is now at the mature end of that range. It's a rare chance to taste how Walla Walla Merlot from one of the valley's benchmark houses holds up with real age.

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Antonio Galloni

89 points

"Bright ruby-red. Complex aromas of raspberry, cranberry, coffee, chocolate and pepper. Then lush and pliant in the mouth, but kept firm by edgy, slightly tart acidity. Opens out nicely on the back end without losing its shape. Perhaps a bit disjointed today, but built to age." —Stephen Tanzer

Robert Parker

91 points

"Roses, spices, violets, juniper berries, vanilla, as well as candied raspberries and cherries can be found in the aromatics of the 1999 Merlot. This medium to dark ruby-colored wine has juicy, well-focused layers of spicy cherries, cinnamon, blackberries, and cassis in its well-delineated, concentrated, and long-finishing personality." —Pierre Rovani

Wine Spectator

92 points

"Seductive for its balance, with ripe flavor and gentle texture. Firm tannins support lively berry and currant fruit, which echo beautifully on the finish, along with subtle shadings of black pepper and cedar. The fruit prevails and just sings on."

Wine Enthusiast

94 points

"For more than two decades, Merlot has been the signature wine for Leonetti. This year's version is dense and tannic. The immediate impression is of charcoal, ash and black cherries. As the wine opens up there are spices (black pepper, anise, bay leaf), roasted nuts, lush tannins and more fruits — berries, cherries and plums. Though young, tight and still tannic, with several hours breathing time this extraordinary Merlot begins to smooth out the rough edges and show its best stuff." —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

    1999

  • 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 leg of lamb with rosemary and mint; braised beef short ribs with bay leaf; wild mushroom risotto; duck breast with a black cherry or blackberry sauce.

Tasting Profile

Very dark in the glass. Brooding aromas of dust, mint, bay leaf and black fruit. Rich, with lifted, high-toned fruit and oak that is well blended in. Good acidity keeps it balanced, and the finish is long.

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