L'ECOLE NO. 41

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 1860s, nurseries, vineyards and winemaking had become a part of the regions' growing economy. The name - L'Ecole Nº 41 French for "the school" located in district number 41 - was chosen to salute these pioneer viticulture efforts. The winery is currently producing about 30,000 cases annually. Semillon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are all barrel aged, creating a significant demand for barrel storage. In the fall of 2003, L'Ecole completed the construction of a new concrete tilt barrel storage facility that accommodates its current inventory of over 2,000 French and American oak barrels. In the spring of 2004, 1.3 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon were planted next to the winery. Since inception, L'Ecole Nº 41 has received numerous accolades, garnering attention both nationally and internationally. Most impressively, the winery has been honoured for fourteen consecutive years by Wine & Spirits Magazine as Winery of the Year (2002-2015), and was inducted into the publication's prestigious Hall of Fame—only the second Washington winery to achieve this milestone.

Reviews for this winery

Winemakers Marty Clubb and Mike Sharon (Mike joined the estate in 2006) continue to keep this Walla Walla based estate firing on all cylinders, and they’re a great reference point for the State of Washington. This report focused on their 2014s, and the lineup is stacked with quality and value.

Jeb Dunnuck, June 2017

L'Ecole N° 41 is one of the standard bearers of Washington State wine. They were the third winery to officially begin operations in Walla Walla in 1983 and remain family-owned. The selection of wines I tasted communicate fantastic value and quality in nearly all price points. I was able to tour the renowned Seven Hills and Ferguson vineyards with Owner and Head Winemaker Marty Clubb. These two vineyards are a perfect representation of Washington State terroir.

Initially established by L'Ecole N° 41, in 1997, with the cooperation of Pepper Bridge Winery and Leonetti Cellar, Seven Hills was subsequently expanded to 170 acres. The Ferguson vineyard was created by L'Ecole N° 41 later, with its first vintage in production being in 2014. Seeing these two sites together is amazing; starting at the top of the Ferguson vineyard, between 1,350-1,450 feet, perched above Seven Hills, we are standing on shallow soils, a thin layer of loess, overlying fractured basalt. At the side of the vineyard, Clubb specifically left a large basalt wall to illustrate how complicated these soils are. The basalt results from lava flows that have been pushed up as the earth's plates shifted over time. Shafts run between the rock (ancient steam vents) encasing limestone and iron deposits. The vines of the Ferguson vineyard dig deep into this rock to find their nutrients, which explains why the wine is so full of character. Similar soils can be found in other high-elevation sites in Washington State, such as Red Mountain. As we move further down to the Seven Hills vineyard, the soil begins to represent more of the classic Washington State terroir. As the loess surface gains in-depth, as does a layer of flood silts beneath it. Further down, these well-draining soils become deeper, until reaching the riverbed beneath. Marty Clubb’s excitement and passion demonstrates the potential at L'Ecole N° 41.

Eric Guido, March 2023