Leonetti Merlot Walla Walla 2023
94 pts Vinous
Drinking Window 2027 - 2036
The 2023 Merlot is a spice box on the nose, mixing cloves, incense, dried flowers and hints of menthol. It presents a balanced inner sweetness and soothingly round textures as crisp blue fruits cascade across the palate. A collection of edgy tannins is offset by a bump of residual acidity, finishing long and full of youthful tension. Have patience with the 2023.
- By Eric Guido on October 2025
The 2022s at Leonetti are big and powerful but balanced to the core. Owner and Winemaker Chris Figgins noted that he saw a lot of similarities between the 2022s and the 2011s. The 2011 vintage was one of the coldest in the last two decades. The 2011s were often misunderstood in their youth but have matured beautifully over time. I can certainly see the validity of this comparison when tasting the 2022s, and yes, it will be over a decade before most of them start to really shine. I also revisited the 2018 and 2016 Holy Roller Cabernet Sauvignon. The Holy Roller hails from the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, an area that yields wines with high pHs that render them deceptively soft in their youth. After this tasting, I have no questions about the Holy Roller’s ageability. Leonetti remains a standard bearer in Washington State.
James Suckling
This full-bodied red has aromas and flavors of blueberries, dark chocolate, cedar and dried herbs. It’s both firm and plush with broad, chalky tannins encasing the dark fruit. Try after 2026.
Jeb Dunnuck
Winemaker Chris Figgins has slowly transitioned to getting Merlot for the 2023 Merlot from cooler sites and giving them a shorter aging window of 15 months. The resulting wine possesses great elegance through a full-bodied frame of rich blue fruit, dried herb, and floral aromatics. The oak is well-integrated, and the tannins supple and supportive. This will continue to drink well over 10-12 more years.
Description
94 pts Vinous
Drinking Window 2027 - 2036
The 2023 Merlot is a spice box on the nose, mixing cloves, incense, dried flowers and hints of menthol. It presents a balanced inner sweetness and soothingly round textures as crisp blue fruits cascade across the palate. A collection of edgy tannins is offset by a bump of residual acidity, finishing long and full of youthful tension. Have patience with the 2023.
- By Eric Guido on October 2025
The 2022s at Leonetti are big and powerful but balanced to the core. Owner and Winemaker Chris Figgins noted that he saw a lot of similarities between the 2022s and the 2011s. The 2011 vintage was one of the coldest in the last two decades. The 2011s were often misunderstood in their youth but have matured beautifully over time. I can certainly see the validity of this comparison when tasting the 2022s, and yes, it will be over a decade before most of them start to really shine. I also revisited the 2018 and 2016 Holy Roller Cabernet Sauvignon. The Holy Roller hails from the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, an area that yields wines with high pHs that render them deceptively soft in their youth. After this tasting, I have no questions about the Holy Roller’s ageability. Leonetti remains a standard bearer in Washington State.
James Suckling
This full-bodied red has aromas and flavors of blueberries, dark chocolate, cedar and dried herbs. It’s both firm and plush with broad, chalky tannins encasing the dark fruit. Try after 2026.
Jeb Dunnuck
Winemaker Chris Figgins has slowly transitioned to getting Merlot for the 2023 Merlot from cooler sites and giving them a shorter aging window of 15 months. The resulting wine possesses great elegance through a full-bodied frame of rich blue fruit, dried herb, and floral aromatics. The oak is well-integrated, and the tannins supple and supportive. This will continue to drink well over 10-12 more years.