Leonetti Merlot 2008

Professional Ratings

• 96 Wine Enthusiast
  This is 100% varietal, from the Loess, Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge, and Mill Creek Upland vineyards. A deep, intense take on Merlot, it’s so dark and concentrated that it dances on the )edge of bitterness, but in a style reminiscent of the finest Italian Merlots, that use that flavor to define and elucidate a dark and potent wine. In the mouth it fills out with luscious cherry and plum and blackberry fruit, baking chocolate, coconut and nougat. Yet it remains sleek and stylish, with a strong licorice note.
• 95 Decanter
  Refined and simply magical now at the 12-year mark, this 100% Merlot shows kirsch and coffee aromas that combine with blackcurrants and cedar. The palate has a silky mouthfeel with light, supple tannins, while the bright acidity helps the wine retain a sense of youth amid layers of boysenberry preserve, mocha and tar. Sumptuous yet showing a great sense of balance, this is Washington Merlot at its best. Drinking Window 2020 - 2033
• 92 Wine & Spirits
  This beautifully perfumed merlot delivers classic Walla Walla sents of savory sundried tomato and red plum. On the palate the wine feels youthful in its concentration-it's a long way from optimal expression, but what's ther indicates a long life and plenty of complexity gowing forward. For the cellar.