Leonetti Loess Vineyard 2017

From a site on the Blue Mountain foothills, the 2017 Loess is part of the single vineyard series, and while I wasn’t able to get the blend, it normally has a large percentage of Petit Verdot as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Deep purple-colored, with a big nose of blue fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and licorice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, plenty of chocolatey oak, building tannins, and a great finish. It’s a brilliant wine, but I wouldn’t open bottles for at least another 4-6 years, and I suspect it won’t hit prime time until a decade after the vintage.

Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 77% of this wine, with the rest Malbec (15%) and Petit Verdot. The aromas pop, with notes of dark cherry, cranberry, scorched earth, barrel spice and cedar. Palate-enveloping, textured, rich, dense flavors follow. Firm, sneaky tannins and mouthwatering acids back it up. One for the ages, this is more about sophistication than brawn, though it brings plenty of both. Best after 2030, with a decade beyond that.