Making History: 21 Vintages of Leonetti’s Red Wine Reserve

BY ERIC GUIDO | OCTOBER 03, 2023

“Iconic” is the word that comes to mind when I consider the impact the Leonetti family and their wines have made on Washington State. Today, many names can be associated with the region's upper echelon of fine wine, but only one remains in that sub-group that has been there since the beginning. The Leonetti wines not only produced the spark necessary to bring attention to Washington State Bordeaux blends, but they also continue to be a guiding force in the region by setting the bar high. Leonetti remains family-owned and operated, aiming to honor the past while looking fearlessly toward the future. 

A twenty-one vintage vertical of Leonetti Reserve.

A Bit of History

The Leonetti family has deep roots in Walla Walla going back to 1902 when Francesco Leonetti immigrated from Serra Pedace, Calabria, Italy. Together with his wife, Rosalina, Francesco Leonetti purchased the family farm in 1906, focusing on a broad range of agriculture, but like many Italian immigrants, making wine for their family's consumption. Francesco or “Frank” Leonetti inspired his grandson, who was transfixed by the bubbling fermentations, sounds and smells of his grandfather’s winemaking hobby. That grandson, Gary Figgins, the founder of today’s Leonetti Cellar, joined the military service and, while stationed in California, made regular weekend trips to wine country where he caught the wine bug. By trade, Figgins was a machinist, but it wasn’t long before winemaking became his passion. By 1973, he was making wine in his basement with purchased fruit, and by 1974 through 1977, he began to plant his first vineyards around the family homestead. Of those plantings, the 1977 block of Merlot still exists outside of the modern-day winery. This block is regarded as Walla Walla’s oldest vineyard. 

Gary and his wife, Nancy Figgins, continued to work by day and began to raise a family, all while making wine and fine-tuning their brand until 1977, when Leonetti became Walla Walla’s first bonded winery, and then 1978 when they released their first commercial vintage. Chris Figgins, the current owner and winemaker, explained, “Mom and Dad struggled to make ends meet. Mom would make cold calls to doctors to make sales since doctors were known to buy wine or place a sign on the road that would read, ‘Winery Open House’. Things moved slowly for them.”

As slow as Chris Figgins recalls, in hindsight, recognition came relatively quickly when, in 1981, Gary Figgins submitted his 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon to Wine & Spirits Magazine only to have it finish first place in the tastings and achieve a spot on the front cover, touted as Top United States Cabernet Sauvignon. Figgins added, “They only produced about 170 cases and would sell it at $12 per bottle, which was pretty aggressive at the time. After the article, with just two cases left, they sold the bottles at $50 a piece, and our family took a road trip to Disneyland.”