2022 Leonetti Cellar Merlot [JS94][JD94][WA93+][V93][WS91]

Producer: Leonetti Cellar 
Region: Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington 
Varietal: Merlot    
Year: 2022 

James Suckling, 94 Points 

"I like the chocolate and Oreo cookie aromas to the black plum fruit. Oranges and bay leaves, too. It’s full-bodied, full of character and expansive on the palate, with a toasty, firm tannin frame. Remains elegant. 100% merlot. Drink from 2025." 

Jeb Dunnuck, 94 Points 

"All Merlot aged in once-filled and neutral oak, the 2022 Merlot sports a vivid ruby/purple hue as well as solid aromatics of ripe black cherries, cedary herbs, dried flowers, and a kiss of background oak. It's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, polished tannins, and a great finish. It will keep from 10-12 years with ease." 

Wine Advocate, 93+ Points 

"Deeply colored and extracted for a Merlot, the 2022 Walla Walla Merlot displays mocha notes with plum and blackberry compote with soft notions of brown baking spices that sway from the glass with a firm, mineral essence. Full-bodied, the palate is still tight with firm,. gripping tannins that will release with additional years in the cellar yet will remain food-friendly for the next decade. The wine spent 15 months in a mix of new and used French oak and neutral botti. 23,448 bottles were made." 

Vinous, 93 Points 

"The 2022 Merlot is remarkably pretty, as a bouquet of violet flowers, lavender, hints of sweet spice and sugar-dusted blackberries wafts up for the glass. This is soothingly round and pure in style, with a perfumed mix of blueberries and sensations of liquid stone. It tapers off long and floral with a pleasantly tart blackberry tinge that lingers on and on. This is a more accessible interpretation of Leonetti's Merlot." 

Wine Spectator, 91 Points 

"Broad-shouldered and densely structured, this Merlot offers currant, river stone and dusky spice flavors while building tension toward firm tannins. Hands off for now. Best from 2026 through 2033." 

Winemaker Notes:  

"Intensely deep color. The aromatics are rich and sweet with notes of pomegranate, plum, raspberry, baking spices, vanilla, bay leaf, and a hint of plumeria. Broad and elegant on the palate with cherry chocolate character, a silky-smooth mouthfeel, and a plush, lengthy finish." 

Alcohol: 14.6% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.