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.