Our winemaker, Frank Léal approaches winemaking as a free-style art form rather than a scientific task. Frank is big on experimentation to ensure that the very best wine is produced from each vintage of precious grapes from the estate’s vineyards. At Léal, all grapes are harvested based on flavor rather than numbers. During each vintage, multiple sources of oak barrels are tested prior to selection. Cooperage and oak sources include France, America, Hungary, Russia and China. Multiple fermenting yeast strands are also tested with each grape varietal. The goal is to make the best possible wine and not to follow a recipe - each vintage is different. It is a painstaking, perfectionist approach.

Many of Léal’s wines are bottled unfiltered. This is a controversial way of making wine, with huge risks. Frank believes filtering strips complexity from the wine. Bypassing filtration allows our limited releases to display every bit of their potential. After watching these wines like they are my kids for 18 months to 2 years, it doesn’t make sense to put so much time in and have it altered by something that you can avoid. The end result is soft texture, not tannic, hard or heavy. The two most important components of Léal wines are the deep complexity and the extended finish.

The wines of Léal are phat & chewy with deep extraction, delivering huge flavor, silky texture, and a long soft finish. And while they consistently win more than their share of accolades and awards, they are specifically designed to please Léal’s loyal core of patrons.

The wine’s integrity is a direct reflection of Frank’s dedication and his work hard / play hard mentality. The Léal Vineyards label is an invitation to enjoy truly special wines with friends and family. Pull a cork, shake your butt, and celebrate Fine Wines and Good Times...It’s the Shiznit!