Here’s a poll for readers. Feel free to comment. Which of the following two wines would be more likely to catch your eye?
- A 50-50 blend labeled Merlot/Cabernet Franc, or
- A 50-50 blend labeled Cabernet Franc/Merlot
L’Ecole No. 41 Winery in Walla Walla, Washington, recently changed the name of its small-production blend of these two classic Bordeaux reds from a. to b. Why? To stand out in a sea of Merlot and also in recognition of the growing popularity of Cab Franc.
Either way, this Right Bank Bordeaux-style blend offers plenty of fragrant aromas, juicy ripe fruit, and bright acidity for fans of both grapes. Limited to only 298 cases, the L’Ecole Cabernet Franc/Merlot will be available March 23 to Wine Club members first in spring release shipments. Anything left will be available through winery-exclusive sales.
I’m pleased to partner with L’Ecole and share my thoughts on their distinguished wines. In the past, I’ve tasted and commented on their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Semillon. Please note that while the wine for this post was provided, opinions are my own.
The winery and region
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 No. 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 was the site’s district number during the early days of vineyards and winemaking in this valley.
Walla Walla, a native American name meaning “many waters,” is located about four to five hours from Seattle in the southeast corner of the Columbia Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). Straddling the Washington/Oregon state border, Columbia Valley is the largest appellation in eastern Washington.
If you’re familiar with Seattle and vicinity, you know it rains A LOT in western Washington, mostly during the winter. But go east of the Cascades mountain range, which runs like a spine from north to south, and like magic, the climate is completely different.
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 ripen fully while locking in their trademark acidity.
Warmer and windier than other parts of the Columbia Valley, Walla Walla is also heavily influenced by the Blue Mountains to the east. The southwest prevailing winds that blow up the Columbia River rise over the Horse Heaven Hills and blow into the valley, directly in the path of one of the largest generating wind farms in the continental United States.
The vineyards
Until I moved to Washington state, I didn’t realize how the wine industry works here. Vineyards are huge. Wineries, on the other hand, tend to be small (with exceptions), close to markets, and many are located far from the vines. Winemakers purchase grapes from these big vineyards. Some vineyards hold contracts with up to 30 different wineries.
Things are changing, though. More of the state’s larger wineries are sourcing their grapes from estate-owned vineyards or local vineyard partners. The Walla Walla wine region, which was just voted America’s Best Wine Region in the 2020 USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, lists more than 120 wineries you can visit.
Walla Walla is mainly a red valley – 95% of vineyards are planted to red varieties. L’Ecole, one of the region’s larger producers (around 40,000 cases annually), harvests 30% of its red grapes from two estate-owned vineyards – Seven Hills and Ferguson. L’Ecole also holds contracts on 15 acres of vines in the adjacent, cooler and wetter Pepper Bridge Vineyard and sources its remaining grapes from other Walla Valley and Columbia Valley growers.
Grapes for L’Ecole’s 50-50 Cab Franc/Merlot blend are from their two estate vineyards:
- 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. L’Ecole is a winery partner with Pepper Bridge Winery and Leonetti Cellar in this 170- acre site. Grapes from this site are known for producing wines with elegance and structure. In 2004, Seven Hills was named one of the “10 Great Vineyards of the World” by Wine & Spirits Magazine. The vineyard is sustainably farmed, Certified Sustainable, and Certified Salmon-Safe.
- Adjacent to Seven Hills, at an elevation of 1,450 feet, is the 42-acre Ferguson Vineyard, named in honor of the winery’s founders. L’Ecole is the only producer to source grapes from this vineyard, an outcropping of fractured basalt (black volcanic soil), crumbly and full of minerals. When tasting this wine, you may detect an earthiness and minerality that derive from these Ferguson grapes. Approximately 30 acres have been planted so far. The vineyard was planted utilizing biologically diverse sustainable practices and is Certified Sustainable and Certified Salmon-Safe.
The wine – 2018 L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Franc/Merlot, Walla Walla Valley
If symmetry appeals to you, you’ll appreciate this: Not only is L’Ecole’s Cab Franc/Merlot blend made from 50% of each grape, but the grapes are also divided evenly between the two vineyards. To break it down, the wine is 25% Ferguson Vineyard Merlot, 25% Seven Hills Merlot, 25% Ferguson Vineyard Cab Franc, and 25% Seven Hills Vineyard Cab Franc. Cool, right?
L’Ecole toggles between producing a Cab Franc/Merlot blend and 100% Cab Franc every year. Right now, they have 4.27 acres planted to Cab Franc in the Seven Hills Vineyard, and another 3.02 acres in the Ferguson Vineyard. Plans are to plant more Cab Franc in Ferguson, too.
So what’s up with Cab Franc? Why do fans love it so much? Do you?
Cab Franc shares some of the same fruit and herbaceous qualities as its offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon. But Cab Franc is less tannic and typically more floral. In its native France, Cab Franc is bottled as a single varietal in the Loire and often used in a Bordeaux blend. I find Cab Franc food friendly and a good accompaniment to lighter-style meats like poultry and pork – especially when herb-roasted. Think herb-stuffed Thanksgiving turkey. Add Merlot to the blend and you get an appealing round, “fat” quality, along with chocolate and tobacco notes.
The 2018 vintage in Walla Walla is noteworthy for perfectly dry harvest weather. Each lot of grapes for this wine was hand-harvested ripe and crushed into stainless steel fermenters. Winemaking included gentle punch-downs and gravity-assisted movement of the juice, followed by racking to French oak barrels, 30% new.
My tasting notes: Ruby in color. Fruity from the opening bell, this wine initially gave off aromas of blackberry and black cherry, tobacco, herbs, a hint of chocolate, and a whiff of ripe bell pepper. But wait several days and hello! We’ve just opened a freshly lined cedar closet. The palate is earthy with blackberry and herbs upfront, followed by cranberry, vanilla, and a mineral note toward the end of a long finish. Medium+ acidity. Ripe tannins. Drink now or cellar for a few years to bring out more of this wine’s flavor profile. Alcohol: 14.5%. Retail Price: $39.00; Club Price: $31.20-$35.10.
The pairings: If there is a quintessentially Pacific Northwest cuisine, I’m not sure what it is. Salmon, maybe? Definitely wild mushrooms. For this Cab Franc/Merlot blend, I decided to experiment with various ethnic dishes. Why not, right?
- Pairing No. 1 – Chicken enchilada casserole. My family loved this cheesy Tex-Mex dish topped with a dollop of light sour cream, scallions, cilantro, and a side of homemade mac ‘n’ cheese. I was careful to keep the chili-hot spice mild to medium, a decision that played into the casserole’s compatibility with the wine.
- Pairing No. 2 – Easy chicken curry. Getting a bit more daring, I used leftover chicken and the remaining sour cream to create a medium-spiced curry. Wasn’t a huge win with the Cab Franc/Merlot blend, but not awful either.
- Pairing No. 3 – Classic spaghetti and meatballs. I got the idea for pairing a Washington red wine with Italian food from another blogger I admire. Washington reds generally have enough acidity to handle tomato sauce, and several people on our Zoom call with L’Ecole staff mentioned this wine’s affinity for burgers. I added mushrooms to the sauce to boost the umami or savory flavor. Not wow, but still a solid pairing.
- Pairing No. 4 – Dark chocolate. The spouse and I tasted two different chocolate bars with the Cab Franc/Merlot. Both were huge hits! With the 92% bar, in particular, the wine mellowed out and softened the bitterness. But the 63% chocolate worked too – maybe better because I preferred this one.
I’d love to hear about your own pairing experiments for Washington reds like this L’Ecole Cab Franc/Merlot. Please leave me a comment!