Since moving last June to the Pacific Northwest, I’ve been pumped about visiting vineyards and wineries in Oregon and my new home state of Washington. But alas, winter – and this little thing called “the pandemic” – are slowing me down. (Note to self: Must. Be. Patient.)
In the meantime, it’s been great to keep up my blogger contacts, hang out in Twitter chats, and connect with several West Coast wineries and winemakers via Zoom.
“Zooming” is where I found myself recently for a virtual tasting of two wines from L’Ecole No. 41, a Walla Walla, WA, winery founded in 1983. Walla Walla Valley, which now numbers nearly 200 wineries, was voted America’s Best Wine Region in the 2020 USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Walla Walla means “many waters,” and was the name of the local Native Americans called this valley.
I’m grateful to L’Ecole for setting up these sessions and partnering with wine writers like me. Please note that while the wines for this post were provided, opinions are my own.
Deep roots in Walla Walla
I wrote about L’Ecole No. 41 back in October when the producer graciously sent me a 2017 Columbia Valley Merlot to open for MerlotMe month. This yummy, 81% Merlot blend has aromas of blackberry, plum, mint, and charcoal, and a dark-berry palate with hints of fennel and cocoa. You can read all about it in my post.
Family-owned L’Ecole No. 41 was the third winery in Walla Walla and the 20th commercial winery in Washington state. Marty Clubb is managing winemaker and co-owner of L’Ecole N° 41 with his wife, Megan, and children, Riley and Rebecca.
The three-generation winery, which was founded by Megan’s parents, Jean and Baker Ferguson, is housed in the historic Frenchtown School just west of Walla Walla. Frenchtown derived its name from the many French Canadians who settled the valley during the early 1800s. L’Ecole is French for “the school,” and 41 refers to the site’s district number during the early days of vineyards and winemaking in this valley.
The Walla Walla AVA (American Viticultural Area) is located in the southeastern corner of Washington state, four to five hours from Seattle. If you’re familiar with Seattle and vicinity, you know it rains A LOT here, mostly during the winter. But go east of the Cascades mountain range, which runs like a spine from north to south, and voila – desert!
The Cascades hold back clouds and leave the eastern side of the state windy, dry, and sunny all summer long. Walla Walla gets only eight inches of rain a year, mostly in the winter. The region can have 108-degree days in high summer, with temperatures plunging to 62 degrees overnight. These diurnal shifts allow the grapes to get fully ripe while locking in acidity.
Walla Walla is mainly a red valley – 95% of vineyards are planted to red grapes. Two of the region’s most highly esteemed vineyards – Seven Hills and Ferguson – are owned by L’Ecole. Between these two estate vineyards, L’Ecole gets about 30% of the grapes that go into their red wines. A third noteworthy vineyard, Pepper Bridge, is not theirs but produces top-quality grapes.
- Seven Hills is a warm parcel of land consisting of Loess soil, a super-fine, pulverized granite that derives from ancient glacial activity and has the feel of talc. A number of local wineries source grapes from Seven Hills.
- Adjacent to Seven Hills, at an elevation of 1,450 feet, is an outcropping of fractured basalt (black volcanic soil), crumbly and full of minerals. This is L’Ecole’s Ferguson Vineyard. L’Ecole the only producer to source grapes from this vineyard.
L’Ecole enjoys deep and longstanding ties with its partner vineyards. The producer seeks out small vineyards and contracts by parcel and block. They aren’t buying a ton of grapes. Rather, they’re getting close to the grapes, “as if it were your own vineyard,” explains Marta Timóteo, L’Ecole’s marketing manager.
OK, let’s move on to the wines.
Wine #1: 2017 L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
For the Zoom virtual tasting, I opened L’Ecole’s 100% Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a single varietal wine consisting of grapes from five different vineyards, 50% of them estate grown. As winemaker Marcus Rafanelli explains, each soil type contributes to the texture. An Indian summer in October 2017 brought bright sunny days and crisp cool nights to harvest time in eastern Washington – ideal conditions for producing balanced wines.
The wine was aged for 22 months in 40% new French oak. Rafanelli doesn’t like to rack the wine (transfer it from one vessel to another) too much. He tastes and monitors until he sees the character of the wine developing.
“I like to use oak like salt and pepper in my cellar,” he says. “It’s a seasoning.”
My tasting notes: Deep ruby, almost purple in color. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, plum, and a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. I get earthiness and tobacco on the palate upfront, with vanilla on a long finish, and medium+ acidity to balance the sugar level. Mouth-coating with polished tannins, though it also could benefit from a few years of aging. Alcohol: 14.5%. Price: $39.
Suggested pairings: If the holiday season means filet mignon or roast beef to you, this Cab Sauv is the ticket. Cab loves beef. The spouse and I seldom eat beef, but we do enjoy a hearty red wine with other meats and savory dishes as long as they’re not too spicy. Grilling, braising, and roasting veggies and mushrooms tend to bring out the umami (savory) flavor we crave.
This time around, I opted for lamb and feta meatballs I had in the freezer. These herby, cheesy meatballs from Jane at Always_Ravenous and a tangy, creamy yogurt sauce were melt-in-your-mouth perfect for L’Ecole’s fruity and earthy Walla Walla Cab Sauv.
Wine #2: 2019 L’Ecole No. 41 Semillon, Columbia Valley
88% Semillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon is a French grape and the star of white Bordeaux. There’s not much Semillon grown in Washington state. L’Ecole sources the grape for this wine from Columbia Valley vineyards.
Grapes were harvested in the cool early morning hours and immediately whole-cluster pressed to a tank. After settling, the juice was racked into neutral French oak barrels to ferment and aged for five months. Malolactic fermentation (converting harsh malic acid to soft lactic acid) gives this wine viscosity and roundness.
My tasting notes: Pale gold in color. Deeply aromatic with pineapple and hints of grapefruit, orange zest, and grass on the nose. Palate is rich in pineapple, lemon, and lemon curd with a rounded mouthfeel, tingly high acidity, and a long finish. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $15.
Suggested pairings: For this vibrant, medium-weight Bordeaux-style white blend, I chose mussels in tomato and herb sauce from the Italy chapter of The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2001). Though nearly 20 years old now, this book is still in print and available in paperback on Amazon for under $20. The recipe calls for a cup of white wine and – you guessed it – I used the L’Ecole Semillon. Flavors of the food and wine complemented one another. This high-acid wine can handle a tomato-based sauce; it also liked pumpernickel toast sprinkled with Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend.
Later in the week, we wrapped up this Semillon wine tasting with an everyday pairing of roasted veggies and baked chicken. So easy, so delicious. Here are the steps for this chicken:
- Pat-dry skinned chicken breasts with a paper towel.
- Rub the chicken on both sides with seasoned olive oil (smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper whisked together). Sorry, but I usually sprinkle spices without measuring.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat and sear the chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Pop the pan into a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Serve with cilantro-lime sauce for additional “pop.”