2007 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Bright, deep medium ruby. Complex nose offers cassis, mocha, minerals, licorice and menthol, lifted by pepper and herb nuances. Sweet, suave, rich and smooth but initially unforthcoming, with flavors of cassis, chocolate, herbs and licorice; a distinct minerality contributes to the wine's backward impression. The broad, long finish features strong building tannins and a serious backbone for aging. A very tricky wine: I tasted two different bottles in Walla Walla that lacked the normal verve of this bottling, but I was unable to follow them with extended aeration. This third bottle, tasted in New York, got better and better with air, becoming more harmonious and sophisticated while gaining in energy. This should be cellared for at least five or six years.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (76%) also contains 17% Merlot, 4% Carmenere, and 3% Malbec. It was aged for 22 months in a mix of new and used French oak. The nose displays herbs, olives, Asian spices, coffee/mocha, a hint of balsamic, black currant, and blackberry. This leads to a savory, intense, incipiently complex Cabernet that will benefit from 5-7 years of additional cellaring to show its full potential. It will be in its prime from 2015 to 2027. Tel. (509) 525-1428; www.leonetticellar.com