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
Perfectly dry harvest weather extended hang-time resulting in rich color and vibrant fruit flavours, another great vintage for Washington State. A late bud-break in mid-April was followed by a warm May with rapid canopy growth. A quick, even bloom set a uniform crop. A cool June contributed to healthy berry growth. July and early August were warm, with occasional heat spikes. Canopies were managed to avoid sunburn and irrigation was micromanaged. Intense cluster thinning was
required to control yields. Veraison tracked 2017 in Walla Walla and was slightly ahead in other regions of the state. A brief rainfall shifted early September into cooler weather leading to two months of near-perfect weather conditions for final fruit maturity. Higher sugars were balanced against higher acid levels and wonderfully intense color and tannin extraction, big fruit flavours, and overall balanced structure. Another strong Washington vintage.
Production notes
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. The winery is engaged in growing and making 100% of their wines. Each lot was hand-harvested ripe and gently crushed into 1.5 and 5 ton stainless steel fermenters. Gentle handling of the fruit through hand punch downs and gravity-assisted movements were utilized throughout the entire winemaking process.
The wine was cleanly racked to small oak barrels, 25% new, with four rackings over 22 months.
Tasting notes
With its classic Cabernet profile, this expressive wine shows layers of dark fruit and espresso, accented by an array of floral notes, including violet, lavender, and crushed roses. With blackberry, cherry, roasted coffee beans, and cassis on the palate, it’s framed with fine tannins which carry through to a flavourful finish.