The first weekend in May is always Spring Release Weekend in Walla Walla, Wash., when dozens of the region’s wineries release their latest vintages to appreciative oenophiles. We’ve enjoyed this event for the past several years, and this year we shared the experience with a group of friends, some of whom had never visited Walla Walla. Last week I wrote about our first day of touring several wineries by limo. This week I wanted to share our experiences at two very special wineries which, due to their limited availability, high desirability and premium quality, are not generally open to the public. After spending a few hours visiting several tasting rooms in downtown Walla Walla (a very charming area, with 19th-century stone and brick buildings, tree-shaded sidewalks and lots of public art), we headed out to Leonetti Cellar on the eastern edge of town. Established in 1977 as Walla Walla’s first commercial winery, the Figgins family honors its Italian patriarch’s heritage and their roots in the family farm, established in 1906, in the name of the winery and the excellent wines it produces. Open only for this weekend, to those on the mailing list, and for other special events, the stone tasting room and production facility sit in a park-like setting surrounded by lawns, a pond, large trees and vineyards. The waiting list to get on the mailing list (which gives one access to purchase up to three cases of wine per year) is three to four years long, so we’re happy to have been purchasing Leonetti wines for 25 years and able to bring along a few friends to the release event. One can wander through the barrel rooms, peer into the gated library, stroll the grounds, partake in some tasty food and enjoy unrestricted tastes of the current releases — on this day the 2014 Merlot, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon and a very special “test” bottling of 2013 Aglianico (they also bottle Sangiovese and a Reserve). Leonetti wines are lovely: balanced, elegant, deeply colored and full of dark fruit. Last year we enjoyed a barrel taste of the Aglianico, an ancient Italian varietal (with origins in Greece) which grows best in sunny, dry climates. Leonetti gradually developed a 2.5-acre vineyard (it’s difficult to get rootstock of this grape) and is currently exploring whether to expand and produce the wine for sale. Known to be very tannic and concentrated when young, the wine, as it ages, becomes more fruit-forward and the tannins more balanced. The Leonetti Aglianico certainly was strongly tannic, but I could also sense the promise of the fruit as well, and I hope in years to come we’ll be able to enjoy the mature 2013 vintage. Rather than aging in oak barrels, the wine rests in terra cotta amphora   in keeping with its traditional style of wine making. That evening we adjourned to Corliss Estates‘ striking tasting room and production facility, a re-purposed bakery/flour mill in a large brick building still boasting some of its industrial hardware high above the main floor. Antiques and eclectic modern pieces adorn the room, with crystal chandeliers suspended above tables decorated with silver candlesticks and bowls overflowing with lush peonies. No expense has been spared nor any detail overlooked in the production of Corliss wines, all produced from three estate vineyards. The grapes are hand-sorted at harvest, and the wines undergo three years in the barrel and two in the bottle before release. Joining the winery’s registry places one “first in line” to purchase these beautifully balanced vintages bursting with fruit, long and lingering on the palate, but there is no obligation to purchase, as with most wine clubs. It’s almost impossible not to purchase (starting around $65 a bottle) once you’ve tasted them, and they do sell out quickly. We sampled the new releases (actually to come out in the fall): the 2011 Red blend, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec as well as two library wines: the 2003 and 2006 Syrahs. These powerful, refined wines will certainly age well, but they also prove eminently drinkable now. We also tasted a bit of the future in a barrel tasting of the 2014 Syrah, sure to be another wine to look forward to in years to come. Our trips to Walla Walla wine country are always a pleasure, and we are always assured of finding great wines at almost every price point, but especially in the premium wines of Leonetti and Corliss. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor