Leonetti's Cab

[Chinney]

Can anyone make any suggestions? My evil brother in law just introduced me to a bottle of Washington's Leonetti's Cabernet. It was the best wine I've ever tasted---and that includes a Lafite I was once treated to. Unfortunately, unlike the Lafite, the leonetti is harder to come by than tiger's penises. Can anyone suggest a comparable wine that is more readily found? Perhaps even one that is from another wine country or California?

Thanks.

[winoweenie]

Chinnet, Welcome to the board and you`re going to get a comped membership in the exclusive BAWDIES club for your tasting acumen. CCK or Bucko give this nice man some insight on acquiring this marvelous bottling.Leonetti has made some fabulous REDS, Merlot & Cabs , over the years. My only source (Living in a non-reciprical state) has been a couple of friends who live in Portland and Seattle being kind enough to share a bottle every now and then. Hey Buckster, Don`t you love it when they say a Wash wine rolled their socks down further than a 1st growth? Winoweenie P.S. There are MANY wines that qualify as an answer to your query, BUT most are as unavailable as the Leonetti. If you want my list of personal favorites I`ll be glad to "E" them

[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 08-03-2000).]

[Innkeeper]

If you go to www.wine-searcher.com (don't specify vintage), you will find your wine starting at $70.00 for the current vintage. Most of the folks on Wine Searcher ship internationally.

[Bucko]

WW, I am not a Leonetti fan -- I find them horribly overoaked. Obviously many people do not agree, as it is highly sought after. To each their own.....

BuckOak

[chittychattykathy]

Chinney,
Wow, I hope that web site Innkeeper noted will get you a bottle or two! (I enjoy it myself, but not at $80+.) Sadly even my friends that have been on Leonetti's standing order list for years had them cut in half this year, & The distributors also cut allocations for many shops and stores as well. For around $30, Paul Portteus (who has strong ties with Leonetti's grapes) makes a Cab worth trying. Then there is Glen Fiona, which is a good way to find out if great wine making is hereditary, (Gary's brother) they craft "Rhone reds" though. Also try Quilceda Creek, about $55. Those are my Washington State selections, good luck! K

[tomstevenson]

Welcome on Board Chinney. As you've sussed, you won't find any Leonetti in the UK, but as Innkeeper points out, you'll find sources via www.wine-searcher.com (I just checked and there are 31 Leonetti wines listed, all in the USA, but how many are the same wine from different retailers or different wines from the same retailer, you'll have to unravel yourself). I'm a fan of Leonetti, but not to the extent that it knocks Lafite or any 1st growth for six. There again, the specific bottle you tasted might not have been at its best, so even the staunchest Bordeaux fanatic could well agree that on the day the Leonetti was better. However, I do understand where Bucko's coming from. When I was a moderator at the Seattle Wine Fair a number of years ago, I was asked whether I thought the tendency of Washington wines to spend longer in oak was the right route to go. I prefaced my response with the usual caution that oak should always be balanced by fruit, then said that I would not want all Washington wines to follow Leonetti just because this style earned Gary Figgins a fan by the name of Robert Parker and a perfect 100-point score from the WINE SPECTATOR. On the other hand, I said, every region should have people intent on pushing the envelope in directions they particularly want to go, and let's face it Figgins has been incredibly successful following his own route. It must be said that some of his wines are more oaky than others and even I confess that the oakier ones are usually best. Having said that, this is probably because he selects better wines for longer oak-ageing. Ideally I would like to see the best Leonetti wines with less oak, but they are stunning nonetheless and a visit to Walla Walla is worth it for the crispily fried Walla Walla onion-loaf alone!
Tom

[Zinner]

A few months back, I was in Walla Walla at "Leonetti Weekend" having made friends with some of the folks on that fabeled list who get to pick up the wines. Not normally a big fan of oak, I found myself liking Leonetti...particularly a bottle with a few years age that we opened later. The longer it sat in the glass and opened up, the better it got. Would have liked to have some to taste the next day(no, I'm not on the list). Thought Leonetti Sangiovese quite nice too.

But I also liked L'Ecole No. 41, Dunham and Woodward Canyon.

Ditto the Glen Fiona wines from Rusty Figgins. And the Syrahs from Cayuse. And the Viognier from Waterbrook.

And wineries are opening at a fast pace now in that part of the world. Hopefully there will be others that hit your palate right that are easier to get.

[This message has been edited by Zinner (edited 08-07-2000).]