2000 | Leonetti Cellar | Merlot

The 2000 vintage was extraordinary in Washington, and Leonetti's 2000 Merlot certainly lives up to that billing. With a nose driven by high-tone fruit, vanillin, and spice, this wine is loaded with varietal character. The Leonetti house style for Merlot really shows through, as this wine is very concentrated, but ends with a fleshy softness that makes this wine so attractive to drink.

Reviews:

• James Suckling: Almost light in texture, remarkably supple and appealing for its chocolate-scented berry flavors, which pick up intensity on the ultrasmooth finish. More elegant and subtle that most previous vintages.

• Wine Enthusiast: This is a fine effort, with its showy mix of red fruits, berry and pomegranate flavors dominating. Though immediately delicious, it is less meaty and muscular than the previous vintage. It's all about sweet, forward fruit, backed with soft, pleasing tannins.

Producer Information

Leonetti Cellar is one of Walla Walla Valley's pioneering wine producers. It was established in 1977 with plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling, and now makes a range of wines from Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese and Aglianico. The estate draws upon several key vineyards throughout Walla Walla. These cover a wealth of terroir, on different aspects and slopes, and with a wide range of soil types based on the Valley's silty loam soils. This gives Leonetti the ability to carefully select sites for each variety, and grapes are planted in the vineyards in which they are judged to do best. Several blocks in the Seven Hills and Leonetti vineyards have older vines, which are used to make the top wines. Leonetti uses mostly French oak for aging, but the Sangiovese is aged in neutral puncheons to retain its character. Leonetti Cellars has become one of the region's more premium producers, commanding high prices for its range of mostly Bordeaux-inspired wines. The Reserve Bordeaux Blend has further increased the brand's prestige in recent years, receiving a 100-point score from the famously influential US wine critic Robert Parker.

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