California Wine Regions

Temecula » Leonesse Cellars

« Back
Winery Search
Mendocino County Wineries
Monterey County Wineries
Napa Valley Wineries
Paso Robles Wineries
Santa Barbara Wineries
Santa Clara Valley Wineries
Santa Cruz County Wineries
San Luis Obispo Wineries
Sierra Foothills Wineries
Sonoma County Wineries
Temecula Wineries
Lodi Wineries
Livermore Wineries
Lake County Wineries
Ventura, Ojai & Malibu Wineries
CWA Poll
Help Us Out - How old are you?
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 55
56 - 70
over 71
Under 21
Food & Wine
How To Match
Pairing Cheese & Wine
Wine Country Recipes
Food & Wine Match Maker
Wolfgang Puck's Kitchen
Food Ideas & Styles
Wine Stuff
Wine Glossary
Wine Grape Varieties
CWA Favorite Blogs
Your Wine Library
Taste For Free Maps
Ask the Winemaker
How To Technically Taste Wine
Advisor Favorite Videos
Edna Valley Harvest
Cooking Videos
How to Taste Wine
Video, Wine For The Confused
Six Sigma Ranch
Jada Vineyards Virtual Tour w/Bruce Springsteen
Wine Shop
Deals at Wine.com
Wines Direct Free Shipping
Advisor Wine Picks
Wine Events & News
Storing, Shipping & Sipping
Hollywood & Vines
Free Wine Tasting Tours Beat the Recession
French Go Naked
Wine Country After Dark
Sideways, Japanese Style
Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival
Earth Day Food & Wine Festival 2010
More Stuff
Links Member Rating
Map Winery
Email Page to a Friend
Save to CWA Favorites
Add to Itinerary
Write Your Own Review



Leonesse Cellars

38311 DePortola Road
Temecula, CA 92592
(951) 302-7601

Tasting:   Open daily 10 to 5 pm
Tasting fee $10, with souvenir glass $12
10% off 6 to 11 bottles, 15% off case
Tours:
  Tours by Appointment
VIP Tasting $20
Amenities:
  Restaurant on site
Price Range:   $16 to $36 per bottle
Established:   2003
Production:
  10,000 cases
VIP Tasting:   Yes
Winery Dog:   Verdot

Leonesse Cellars Description

The word Leonesse means “village of dreams,” and that is what the owners of this elegant boutique winery have created on De Portola Road in the Temecula wine country. A stylish tasting room, with one of the best “tasting decks” in the region, shares the property with a lovely restaurant and a hillside full of vineyards.

The elegant tasting room is richly decorated in dark woods; it has a stone fireplace for chilly afternoons, and leather chairs for comfort. The large outside deck features great views, a second fireplace, and heaters for the winter and “misters” for the summer.

Leonesse’s dedicated winemaking staff makes Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, White Merlot, Muscat Canelli and Cinsault Port, as well as small lots of other selected varietals. Red wines as well as Chardonnay are aged in a combination of small French and American oak barrels. This treatment adds softness, oak nuances and complexity to the wines.

Monday through Friday, you can experience their VIP Tasting in the private VIP Room. (At $20.00 per person, it includes six tastes, barrel sampling, and cheese and chocolate pairing.)

Leonesse Cellars Features

Ambiance Types of Wine Amenities
Resort Like
Kid Friendly
Family Run
Casual & Relaxed
Hip & Stylish
Bordeaux
Burgundy
Rhone
Italian
Tours Available
Private Tasting
Event Space
Catering
Gift Shop
Barrel Sampling
Write Your Own Review

Leonesse Cellars Reviews

Staff Knowledge & Friendliness
Amenities, Comfort & Cleanliness
Value
Wine Quality
Overall Impressions
Posh Wine at the Friendliest Winery in the Valley
CSM, Springfield
This is a must visit winery when in Southern California. Being on the quiet De Portola Road side of Temecula it is a little harder to find, but is surrounded by several other worthy wineries so the extra distance isn't a time killer. Leonesse prides themselves on being the friendliest winery in Temecula. Their tasting staff has certainly earned my vote on every visit. Their well appointed tasting room is inviting and spacious as is their outside restaurant 'Block 5.' Having food service on site adds to the opportunity to spend quality time in the vineyard with good wine and food. Leonesse offers three tiers of wine with their Vineyard Select Wines being notable for sourcing grapes from a single vineyard and receiving significant maturation in new French Oak (typically 18 -24 months). Like the other wineries in Temecula Leonesse lacks the economies of scale associated with larger operations and so if you have caviar tastes and a box wine budget, your going to need an allowance increase. That being said, their wines are worth every penny in my mind. Of the entry tier wines offered for tasting I particularly recommend the 2005 Zinfandel and the Cabernet Franc. I also enjoyed their Meritage; an appellation I particularly seek when offered, as I believe it is the best evidence of that wine maker's style and skill, given freer rein than under traditional blending rules for varietals. If still available in their Library Selection, the 2004 Vineyard Select Merlot is a luscious and full bodied treat, and their 2004 Syrah has been highly rated.

Review Disclaimer

The above reviews are the subjective opinion of Winery Advisor members and not of Winery Advisor LLC.

Advanced Winery Search
CWA Members





Free Membership
Recent Newsletters
Wine Events
Sponsors & Friends
About CWA | Contact Us | Advertise with CWA | For Wineries Only | Wine Links | Site Map | Privacy Policy