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Old School Washington Wine
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L'Ecole No.41 Old School Washington Wine |
| Join us this Saturday, when we’ll have the corks pulled on some serious Old School Washington Wine. We’ll be pouring wines from L’Ecole No41 one of the early winemaking pioneers of Washington. L’Ecole started in 1983 setting up shop in the old turn of the century school house just west of Walla Walla. Steadily, along with such neighbors as Woodward Canyon and a few others, they started putting Washington wine on the map. L’Ecole’s wines get consistently high scores (we’ve included the current ones). But why take someone else’s word for it when you can try them for yourself on Saturday. |
| 2008 Semillon, Columbia Valley $13 |
| 83% Semillon, 17% Sauvignon Blanc. L'Ecole has been making Semillon since their beginning. The wine is barrel fermented to dryness and aged on the lees up to six months. The barrel fermentation results in a full-bodied rich texture. The wine has shows fragrant citrus blossom and honeysuckle aromas with shows rich fruit flavors of citrus, fresh fig, and balanced acidity with lemon bar and key-lime expanding on a lingering finish. (91pts Wine Enthusiast) |
| 2009 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley $20 |
| L'Ecole's Chardonnay, barrel fermented in traditional Burgundian style, is a blend of two distinct vineyards: Schmitt and Evergreen. The Schmitt Vineyard (Yakima Valley) provides ripe tropical fruit, while Evergreen (latitude 47 on the Columbia River) contributes crisp acidity and minerality The resulting Chardonnay offers an enticing mix of tropical fruit, flint and crisp Asian pear. The vibrant structure of this wine is finely balanced between richness and minerality adding complexity on the clean, lingering finish. (91pts Wine Enthusiast) |
| 2007 Merlot, Columbia Valley $24 |
| 81% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon L'Ecole is best known for Merlot, and with good reason. They make a good one. Fermentation is carried out in small lots and gravity fed into the press. The wine aged in for 18 months a combination of new and older French and American oak barrels. The Merlot has pretty aromatic aromas of nutmeg, clove and spice. The body is rich and deep and brooding with lots of black cherry, blackberry, and earthy dark fruit flavors encased in a peppery, cocoa, toasty finish. Those who think they don’t like Merlot weren’t thinking about this wine. (92pts Wine & Spirits, 91pts Wine Enthusiast) |
| 2007 Apogee, Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla $45 |
| 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc Apogee is the point in the orbit of the moon that is the farthest point or apex from the earth. It is also L’Ecole’s flagship wine, aged for 22 months in 50% new barrels. The fruit from the much touted Pepper Bridge Vineyard shows its characteristic spicy, bold and dark fruit flavors with a rich structure, well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Boldly aromatic, this wine has aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg, earthy hints of sweet tobacco and leather, and smoky dark fruit packed with chocolate, mint and cherry fruit on a richly balanced and integrated finish. The wine is tasting great right now, but if you can manage to put it away for a few years and not drink it, it will get better and better. (94 pts Wine Advocate, 92 pts Wine & Spirits, 92pts Wine Enthusiast) |