Leonetti Cellar: Ageworthy Washington Cabernet

Founded by Gary Figgins in 1977, Leonetti Cellar was the first bonded winery in Walla Walla, Washington. The name Leonetti is a tribute to Figgins’ grandparents, Francesco and Rosa Leonetti, who started their farm here in 1906. That farm is also the site of Walla Walla’s first commercial vineyard, as Figgins planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling there in 1974. 

While Riesling has found success in Washington’s higher elevations, Leonetti has earned a sterling reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and, perhaps surprisingly, Sangiovese. 

Following Figgins’ inaugural wine releases, accolades came almost immediately, as Wine & Spirits magazine named Leonetti Cellar’s 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon as the best in the nation in a 1981 blind tasting.

Fast-forward to 1985, and Figgins honoured his Italian heritage, planting Sangiovese, which was uncommon for the region – both then and now. Recent vintages of Leonetti Cellar’s Sangiovese are some of the best examples of the variety in North America. Tasting the 2002 vintage last year, I was struck by the incredible freshness and tension in the wine yet still with a wonderful core of ripe red and dark fruits with tobacco tones.

In 2001, Gary Figgins handed over the winemaking reins to son Chris who had only graduated five years earlier from a degree in horticulture from Washington State University. Few Washington winemakers have achieved Chris’s level of immediate greatness; since taking over he has crafted red wines that are among the state’s best.

Consistently great vintages

The Walla Walla Valley has an arid, continental climate deeply impacted by the rainshadow effect of the Cascade Mountains. Over the past 20 years, the AVA (within the larger Columbia Valley AVA) has enjoyed consistently great vintages, many of them warm.

There was some vintage variation between 2001 and 2009 but overall the period was even, warm and untroubling for growers. Unlike Europe, 2000 in Washington was not widely considered to be a great vintage, marked by what Chris noted as a ‘very warm summer and quite a cool harvest season’. However, 2005 was stunning across the state, with Chris stating that ‘2005 may well prove to be the landmark vintage for Washington wines’. 2008 was another compelling year, as was the warm and bountiful 2009 vintage.

The 2010 season was one of the coolest on record until 2011, which remains the coolest-ever vintage in Washington State, with many producers struggling to achieve phenolic ripeness. 2012 saw near-perfect growing conditions while 2013 and 2014 were both exceedingly warm. For some producers, these vintages were both a blessing and a curse, producing fully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon but the wines often lacking the level of tension and finesse attained by top estates. 

For this tasting, Chris Figgins sent me seven vintages of the Cabernet Sauvignon and two of Merlot. Over the past year I have also had the chance to revisit several older Leonetti Cellar wines from my personal collection – a 2008 and 2009 Merlot and a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.

These are some of Washington’s most ageworthy wines, with only the likes of Quilceda Creek as a comparison.

Leonetti Cellar: Cabernet and Merlot from 2014 to 2000

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