Frenchtown
2019
$44.28*
Out of stock
A family-owned business, L'Ecole Nº 41 was founded by Jean and Baker Ferguson. Today, the winery is owned and operated by their daughter and son-in-law, Megan and Martin Clubb. Built in 1915, the schoolhouse is located in historic Frenchtown, a small community just west of Walla Walla, Washington. Frenchtown derived its name from the many French-Canadians who settled the valley during the early 1800s. Legend has it, these men of French descent were raising grapes and producing wine. By the...
See the L'ECOLE NO. 41 detail page for more information on this brand
An overall mild growing season and challenging harvest have nonetheless delivered a high-quality vintage for L’Ecole. A cold and snowy February/March delayed field pruning, resulting in budbreak late April to early May. A warm May accelerated canopy growth and the onset of bloom. Cooler July temperatures moderated heat unit accumulation with veraison delayed 7 to 10 days from normal. August brought customary warm weather, with only a few heat spikes over 100°F. A warm early September initiated a normal harvest, which was slowed due to slightly rainy and cooler conditions. A light frost at the end of September along with a forecast of more freezing weather on its way accelerated picking, with 60% of our fruit harvested the first two weeks of October. Freezing weather quickly brought the season to a close the second week of October. With delight, the winery is seeing beautiful and elegant wines, with high natural acidity, and impressive structure.
Over 35 years of meticulous vineyard management and winemaking experience are fundamental to the quality of the L'Ecole no. 41 wines and their reputation for excellence. They are engaged in growing and making 100% of their wines. The wine was aged 9 months in primarily neutral oak barrels, then bottle aged 6 additional months prior to release.
An excellent Frenchtown vintage showing bright fruit aromatics, from wild berries and black cherry to dark plum framed on a medium-bodied structure. An easy-drinking wine, its fruit-forward profile is accented by violets and savory thyme. Vivid flavors carry through to a delicious finish.
The aromas aren't fully ready to reveal their charms, with notes of spice, plum and cherry. The flavors are plump, ripe, and show pleasing purity and depth, with the mouthfeel upping the appeal. It's a lot of wine for the money. Give it a short decant
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A new wine (at least for me), the 2019 Frenchtown is an interesting blend of 45% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, and 6% Petit Verdot, with the remaining 29% made up of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. Brought up in neutral oak, it has a juicy, red and black berry-scented nose with lots of peppery herbs, tobacco, and cedar aromas and flavors. At least at this young stage, the Rhône varieties seem to dominate, and it's a juicy, medium-bodied, beautifully textured red that should offer loads of pleasure over the coming 4-6 years (and probably longer).
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The 2019 Red Wine Frenchtown delivers plenty of ripe red fruits while firm tannins hold things in place. With more air, sagebrush and chocolate undertones bring complexity.
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A harmonious red, elegant yet zesty, with lively currant, espresso and stony mineral accents that build tension toward medium-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Grenache and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2026.
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L’Ecole’s well-priced blend is about half merlot, the remainder a combination of Bordeaux and Rhône varieties. It leads with blackcherry and tar scents, along with a firm note of leather and oak. The flavors are juicy and lively—a lightly structured red for barbecue.
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