2019 Figgins Family Wine Estates Riesling Walla Walla 750 ml

Chris Figgins is one of Washington’s most important winemakers, a 100-point star whose wines at Leonetti have developed a cult-like following and pushed the state even further into the vinous spotlight. In this 2019 Riesling, a single-vineyard passion project, he applies that expertise with laser focus to craft a generous, dry wine from a prestigious sliver of Walla Walla terroir.  

The 2019 Riesling is a gorgeous, golden-cored wine that springs forth with aromas of white peach, lemon, jasmine, honeysuckle, and sage. The palate is dry, but deftly balanced by chamomile, fresh acidity, and just a touch of sweetness.

Quality-wise, it’s right there with the stunning, world-famous Rieslings from Germany and Austria, but it’s by no means a carbon copy. Jeb Dunnuck has called Figgins’ Riesling “always a unique, singular wine.” That creativity is what inspired some enthusiastic advice from Wine Advocate: “this is one producer not to miss!”

That’s testament to the winemaking prowess of Chris Figgins, who is “responsible for some of Washington’s most collectible and most famous wines,” according to the Seattle Times. His wines at Leonetti have earned 99- and 100-point scores, and the Leonetti estate has been called a “benchmark” by both Dunnuck and Wine Advocate. Figgins Winery is his terroir-obsessed enterprise, a ballad to his personal, 32-acre estate vineyard, from which he crafted this inviting Riesling. 

As a Washington wine icon, Figgins has had access to some of the region’s most esteemed vineyards for his entire career, yet he’s called this estate his “dream site.” Planted at around 1,700 feet, the vineyard is down the road from Leonetti’s Mill Creek Upland site, and its cool climate and loess soils develop the dry, energetic acidity that marks the world’s best Rieslings. That Riesling grows on a tiny, half-acre plot at the north end of the vineyard. It’s a small and meticulous production, undergoing slow, cool-temperature fermentation in stainless steel to preserve its purity and that bright acidity.

Wine Enthusiast listed Washington among its “Three Places Bringing Out the Best in Riesling” and pinpointed Walla Walla as the epicenter of a “White Wine Revolution,” thanks to its high-elevation, cool-climate vineyards, perfect for pure and racy expressions of the grape. Figgins is leading that charge, conveying his top winemaking talent and some of Walla Walla’s best cool-climate terroir into vibrant, stunning Rieslings.