On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, we had the opportunity to interview Chris Figgins, the CEO and Winemaking Director for Figgins Family Wine Estates (FFWE). FFWE includes Leonetti Cellar, Figgins, and Toil Oregon wineries. We covered a 2023 Chardonnay and a 2023 Pinot Noir from Toil in Oregon. We also covered three red blends from Figgins, including their 2015 “Estate Red” offering. Finally, we covered the 2023 Merlot from Leonetti and both 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon offerings. You can learn about Chris, all three wineries, and the wines in this post.
Before we get to the wines, I thought I would share some tidbits that Chris shared in the interview.
- Leonetti Journey and Timeline
- Chris’s great grandparents came to America from Italy in 1902.
- Chris’s dad Gary, was enamored with wine.
- He was a drill instructor at Fort Ord.
- He started as a self-taught home winemaker. He even stomped grapes in a garbage can.
- Leonetti Cellar was founded by Chris’s parents Gary and Nancy Figgins in 1977. It was Walla Walla’s first commercial bonded winery.
- The original vineyard was at their grandparents’ homestead.
- Their first Cabernet Sauvignon was from the 1978 vintage. It sold for $12. In 1981 Wine & Spirits Magazine called it the best Cabernet in America. It is still holding up 40 years later.
- Gary was a machinist. He built his own pumps. He grew the business slowly.
- Nancy babysat and cleaned houses to make money to buy oak barrels.
- Chris attended Washington State University.
- He fell in love with wine ½ way through college.
- Dad sent wine shiners to Chris at school for him to try.
- Chris graduated from College on a Saturday in 1996 with a degree in horticulture. He was at work for the family on the that Monday.
- Chris was the first employee. He was astonished at what his parents had accomplished.
- In 2001 he became the head winemaker.
- In 1997 they entered into a partnership with Seven Hills Vineyard.
- In 2000, they opened a new production facility with 3 caves.
- Chris conducted our interview from one of the basalt caves 30 feet underground.
- Amy Figgins – Chris’s sister is the Estate Manager at Leonetti Cellar. She joined Leonetti in 2007. She has added a sharp logistical mind and a thoughtful business acumen to the winery. She leads the Member program, orchestrates meaningful events, and curates the full brand experience.
- Walla Walla Valley
- In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s Walla Walla was not on the map.
- In the 1990’s people started to come to Walla Walla for the wines.
- In the small world of Walla Walla.
- Drew Bledsoe’s mom was Chris’s middle school teacher.
- Chris was the first winemaker at Drew Bledsoe’s Doubleback winery.
- Drew’s current winemaker, Josh McDaniels was Chris’s protégé.
- Toil Winery in Oregon
- It is 5 hours away in the Willamette Valley.
- It is 10 degrees cooler.
- They spent 5 years looking for the vineyard.
- His great uncle and dad planted the first vines.
- They now have 8 acres under vine.
- Is in the Chehalem Mountains AVA.
- They sell some fruit to Ken Wright.
- The Toil wines are made in Washington. Hence the Oregon label.
- The fruit is brought back to the Washington winery in refrigerated trucks.
Figgins Estate Winery
- In the early 2000’s a small wheat and pea farm came up for sale on the amazing hillside that rises above the Mill Creek corridor.
- Chris pulled the “for sale” sign out of the ground, threw it in the back of his truck, and met with his parents to discuss the next Leonetti “Estate” vineyard.
- His parents gently declined the idea for Leonetti, but with their blessing, Chris started his dream single vineyard project.
- Figgins Estate Vineyard is a south-facing hillside sitting at 1,500-1,750 feet.
- It is one of the highest elevation commercial vineyards of substantial size in Washington State.
- It is 1 site and 35 acres.
- It is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec & Riesling.
- 2015 Vintage = Was warm. Chris loves the 7–8-year mark for his Figgins Estate wines. We agree!
- Figlia
- Means daughter in Italian.
- It is a blend of Merlot & Petit Verdot. PV is typically 20 to 25%.
- Toil and Figgins wines are made in the same winery.
- Figgins and Toil are both owned solely by Chris.
- Leonetti Cellar
- They have 82 acres and 4 vineyards.
- They bring in 30% more fruit than they use.
- For more than 25 years, they have been focusing on soil health.
- Merlot comes from three vineyard sites.
- One small block of Cabernet Franc is grown for the Reserve wine. If not used in a given vintage, it is sold off in bulk.
- Reserve = Is made from the best blocks and the best blend.
- Holy Roller Vineyard
- Is Leonetti’s venture into The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, this cobblestone vineyard produces wines with a polished texture, vibrant minerality, subtle salinity, and plush fruit that are remarkably approachable even in their youth.
- In the early 2000’s a small wheat and pea farm came up for sale on the amazing hillside that rises above the Mill Creek corridor.
Below is a summary of the wine offerings from Leonetti Cellars, Figgins, and Toil wines that we covered with Chris. The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find some of these wines via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines here is how you do it. You can buy Toil wines directly from their website. For the Figgins and Leonetti wines you can join their allocation lists via these website links. Join Figgins. Join Leonetti.
1) Toil Oregon 2023 Chardonnay “Willamette Valley” $40 (KWGTP 93.5)
2) Toil Oregon 2023 Pinot Noir “Willamette Valley” $50 (KWGTP 93)
3) Figgins 2022 “Figlia” (Walla Walla) $55 (KWGTP 94)
4) Figgins 2015 “Estate Red” (Walla Walla) $115 (KWGTP 96.5)
5) Figgins 2021 “Estate Red” (Walla Walla) $95 (KWGTP 96.5)
6) Leonetti 2023 Merlot “Walla Walla” $90 (KWGTP 93.5)
7) Leonetti 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Walla Walla” $120 (KWGTP 95)
8) Leonetti 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon “Reserve” (Walla Walla Valley) $165 (KWGTP 95)
You can find reviews of past and future Leonetti wines that we cover on the Leonetti KWG winery page on our website. The same goes for Figgins and Toil. We hope you enjoy these terrific wines as much as we did. Cheers! – Ken