Appy Figgins Friday!

What costs less than $99 but is rated 99 points? THIS.

Per Wine Advocate “these superb wines are made by Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellar and come from his estate vineyard that’s located on the eastern edge of Walla Walla.”

If you have yet to discover the wines of Figgins, you owe it to your Cab-loving self. While this flagship remains the King in the lineup, their “second” wine is certainly no slouch, with its own cadre of big scores and an eye-watering price of just $55. You cannot go wrong with either one.

Per Wine Spectator “Chris Figgins - The Prince of Walla Walla - inherited a Washington icon with Leonetti Cellar, but he’s not resting on his laurels.”

They’re damn right he’s not! While the inaugural vintage of this tiny project was back in 2010, because it was only 40 cases, this is our first allocation of his Figgins label. This and the supreme value second wine, the Figlia 2021, and since all we got were a few cases, Appy people get first dibs. Watch them disappear.

The dominance of Cabernet always leads this flagship Red, say like its more classically endowed Leonetti Cellar Reserve counterpoint, and the Figlia is an unusual blend with equal parts Petit Verdot and Merlot.

Owen Bargreen explains “Each year, their Estate Red Wine is a combination of varietals year to year but focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon from this high elevation site set on loess soils. I know that they have been slowly adding more Petit Verdot into this blend as this site arguably produces the finest Petit in the state. The wine is extremely age worthy as I have tasted wines from ten years of age and they still have a long way to go in the cellar.”

Mic to Vinous for further convincing, if needed: “The Figgins estate vineyard has emerged as one of the Grand Crus of WA State. The 2021 is one of the most captivating examples of this wine I’ve ever encountered. Chris Figgins fell in love with this high-elevation site, which lies above Missoula flood line at around 1,200 feet. The soils here consist of a small loess, quickly giving way to shear basalt.”

Soils, schmoils, what’s in the glass is PROFOUND. Don’t let these zoom by you.

99 Points – Owen Bargreen “A proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, the stunning 2021 Figgins Red was stored in 57% new French oak prior to bottling and is entirely sourced from their estate vineyard in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. It shows off its sexy, inky core, reveling in violets, dark currants, sweet pipe tobacco, and loamy soil notes on the nose. The palate is plush, deep, and concentrated, with serious structure, tension, weight, and depth as this glides throughout the drinking experience. Everything is in clockwork balance here, as the green herb, iron, dark chocolate shavings, and graphite tones from the Petit Verdot mesmerize, alongside the dense dark fruits from the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. A complete wine, this is truly one of the finest ever made by winemaker Chris Figgins. Try to cellar this beauty for another two years. Drink 2026-2046.”

98 Points – Vinous *“Dusty and floral, the 2021 Figgins Estate Red slowly opens in the glass with a mix of wild berries and dried violets elevated by hints of camphor and white smoke. This is silken in feel, with depths of ripe blackberry and contrasting tart raspberry adding tension as crystalline tannins form a youthful nerve toward the close. The 2021 excels through the finish, dramatically long and staining. It leaves notes of salted licorice and a liquid floral concentration that lingers on and on. This is a youthfully intense and brooding vintage for the FIGGINS Estate Red, yet it has all the balance for a long and fruitful evolution. This site has quickly emerged as one of the Grand Crus of Washington State. Drink 2028-2040.