Nose
The wine’s aroma itself can hold one captive without ever taking a sip. The nose boasts incredible sweet fruit, cedar, plums, and cassis.
Palate
The wine is very dense while being seamless and lasting on the palate long after the wine is swallowed.
Growing Conditions
2002 was a terrific vintage perhaps most notable for its incredible lack of precipitation. We had beautiful weather for bloom resulting in full, even clusters. We then had our last rain of the season shortly thereafter the second week of June. It then did not rain another drop until well after harvest. The weather throughout the growing season was wonderfully warm with only a few 100+ degree days. Fruit throughout varieties ripened completely and evenly and we picked at our leisure awaiting perfect flavor balance.
Harvest
Grapes for the Reserve were harvested from September 16th through October 7th – fairly late for a vintage that ripened so early. Patience paid off.
Winemaking
We believe this wine may be remembered as one of the finest Leonetti has produced. We are tremendously proud of the fact that this wine is entirely estate-grown. It’s so satisfying to realize the culmination of a decade of site selection and viticulture, that
results in such a wine.
Aging
Aged in new French and American oak barrels for 22 months.
