Sémillon  2016

L'ECOLE NO. 41

Sémillon
2016

Country
United States
Regulated designation
American Viticultural Areas (AVA)
Region
Washington
Subregion
Columbia Valley
Varietal(s)
Sémillon 86 %
Sauvignon Blanc 14 %
Colour
White
Sugar
Dry
Aging vessel type
French Oak
Producer's website

About this winery

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

Product notes

The 2016 vintage looks like another spectacular and large harvest for Washington State; it started early with a mild winter, hot spring, and early bud break, suggesting another warm year was on the way. Continued mild weather through August and September stretched the growing season allowing the fruit to ripen gradually and evenly, with lower sugars and higher acidity. The longer hang-time produced fantastic balance of flavour and structure in both the white and red varieties.

Production notes

The grapes were harvested in the cool early morning hours and promptly delivered to the winery for immediate pressing. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed to tank and allowed to settle. The juice was then racked off the solids into neutral tight-grained French oak, then barrel fermented and aged for 5 months.

Tasting notes

Rich with vibrant fruit and balanced acidity, this wine shows pretty orange blossom with layers of fresh lemongrass, yellow apple and ananas melon that expand on a clean finish.

Press reviews

Vinous

- 91 points -

October 2023 (Vintage 2022)

Sweet spring flowers, lemon-laced apples and confectionary spice introduce the 2022 Sémillon. A model of grace and purity, this is perfumed and slightly exotic, with suggestions of mint that offset green melon notes and ample juicy acidity that keeps the energy high. The 2022 tapers off with cheek-puckering freshness and a saline tinge that perfectly resets the palate. I'm loving the balance of ripeness and tension here. This is a blend of 82% Sémillon and 18% Sauvignon Blanc.

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Vinous

- 90 points -

Stephen Tanzer , November 2015 (Vintage 2014)

“(bottled in early June; a blend from multiple sites; 100% barrel fermented, with a touch of new oak): Pale, bright yellow. Pretty, vaguely floral aromas of stone fruits, mint and honey. Intensely flavored and brisk but with a touch of creaminess from the 60% barrel aging. Finishes with excellent saline length and firmness. "Semillon is a hard grape to sell," said Clubb. "It gets weightier and nuttier with seven or eight years of aging, but to make a really long-lived Semillon you'd need to pick earlier and greener”."– Stephen Tanzer

 

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Wine Spectator

- 90 points -

Harvey Steiman, December 2014

Light and refreshing, this white offers flavors of tangy tangerine peel and grapefruit that pick up a creamy fig note as the finish lingers. Drink now through 2016. 4,800 cases made.

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 Wine Enthusiast

- 90 points -

#68 TOP 100 BEST BUY 2019

February 2019

Aromas of fig and spice carry the nose of this lush white. The palate brings a lovely sense of texture, with notes of honeycomb, fig and tropical fruit. A warm finish caps it off. Like most examples of this variety, it needs time in the bottle to be fully appreciated, but it has all the stuffing.

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Vinous

- 90 points -

October 2022 (Vintage 2021)

The 2021 Sémillon is sweetly scented, with dusty white flowers, vivid yellow apple and chamomile forming its bouquet. This is suave and opulent on the palate, yet perfectly balanced by brisk acidity, as a mix of ripe tropical fruits and florals cascade throughout. The 2021 finishes with remarkable length, both crisply refreshing and potent, with kiwi and mango notes that linger. I love the inner sweetness here, in spite of its zero grams of residual sugar. What a treat.

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Natalie MacLean

- 89 points -

Natalie Maclean, August 2015

Lemon and beeswax and lanolin on this nose of this complex and intense white wine. Pair with roasted chicken.

Semillon food pairings: Roquefort, crab leg salad.

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