Washington state grows more Cabernet Sauvignon than any other grape. Merlot is the second most-planted variety. The stars seem aligned for Bordeaux-style blends.
East of the Cascade Mountains, warm summers and dry harvest seasons favor late-ripening grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, the foundation for Bordeaux-style blends that showcase Washington state’s characteristic high acidity and aromatic fruit. These are powerful wines that merit decanting or a few years in bottle.
Marty Clubb, owner of L’Ecole No. 41, one of Walla Walla’s leading producers, has been in the wine business for over 30 years. His winery is a partner (with Pepper Bridge Winery and Leonetti Cellar) in the highly acclaimed, 170-acre Seven Hills Vineyard. Started on 20 acres in 1981, this Certified Sustainable and Salmon Safe vineyard was recognized in the 1990s as one of the 10 Great Vineyards of the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine. A major expansion followed in 1997, when the partners collectively planted 150 new vineyard acres over a two-year period.
Since then, “the quality has gotten even better and stronger,” Marty told a group of bloggers on a recent Zoom call.
Located in the south-central part of the Walla Walla Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) – in Oregon, actually – at an elevation of 900 to 1,100 feet, Seven Hills is covered in wind-blown loess from geologically young and mineral-rich soils noted for their excellent drainage. Moisture is monitored by a computer-driven drip irrigation system.
A couple of years ago, the winery partners eliminated the use of herbicides in the vineyard. Now, vineyard manager Sadie Drury uses their own compost and compost teas to treat the vines. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, two minor but important Bordeaux players, Petit Verdot and Malbec, find a comfortable home at Seven Hills.
This month, the bloggers got to taste two different vintages of L’Ecole’s Bordeaux blend – a 2015 and a 2018. The wine is named “Perigee” for the point in the moon’s orbit when it is closest to the earth.
Please note that while the wines for this post were provided, opinions are my own.
2015 L’Ecole No. 41 Perigee, Estate Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot
Prior to 2021, the 2015 vintage was the warmest in memory. What matters most to the grape, Marty explained, are the conditions after veraison (the onset of ripening). In 2015, summer heat suppressed berry growth and this led to more tannic, less acidic wines than usual, with more aromatic lift. Early on, these mouth-drying tannins may have felt too astringent, but now, with a little age and decanting, they’re softer.
- My tasting notes – Deep ruby with a hint of garnet. Cedar primarily and some ripe blackberry on the nose. Smooth tannins and medium+ acidity on the palate. Cedar and pencil shavings upfront, then plum and vanilla on a long finish. Minty, mineral notes at the very end. This “library” (older) vintage wine is showing quite well now. Alcohol: 14.5%. Price: $73. Limited quantities. Contact L’Ecole to order.
2018 L’Ecole No. 41 Perigee, Estate Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 9% Malbec
2018 was another warm year in Walla Walla, but not as warm as 2015. “I love the way the ‘18s are showing now,” Marty said, adding that L’Ecole has gotten “braver” about the percentage of Petit Verdot in these blends. With higher acidity than the 2015, but still having plenty of bright fruit, 2018 is a typical Washington state Bordeaux-style blend.
- My tasting notes – Deep ruby with purplish rim. Blackberry primarily and cedar aromas. High acidity and mouth-coating tannins on a palate dominated by mineral notes. Long finish. Alcohol: 14.5% Price: $57. I recommend putting away this wine for a couple of years before opening it.
What to pair with Perigee?
Beef stew sounds perfect to me for left bank Bordeaux-style blends. David at Cooking Chat has healthy (and delicious!) recipes that I recommend checking out.
For this post, though, I turned to Fiona Beckett’s “Matching food & wine” site. Guess what Fiona recommends for left bank Bordeaux? Bacon and eggs! She writes:
“You want a wine in which Cabernet makes up at least half of the blend, I suggest – not too young but not too venerable either.”
For the scrambled eggs, I first sautéed a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped onion in a tablespoon or so of butter. Then I added four eggs whisked with a couple drops of water and sprinkled the top with shredded cheddar cheese (about ¼ cup), leafy baby spinach, dried oregano, sea salt and black pepper. Let it set a little, then fold and fold.
Fiona’s right – fat and protein in the bacon and eggs complement the left-bank-style Bordeaux without overtaking the pairing.
2021 – Hotter than ever
Extreme heat last June, followed by an early October freeze, meant the lowest Cabernet Sauvignon yields in Marty’s experience. “The quality, though, was fantastic,” he said. I’m making a mental note to check out this vintage in a few years.
Lest you think global warming is all bad, Marty noted that a changing climate has virtually eliminated the hard winters that Walla Walla once had. Winters are still cold, but vines are less likely to suffer debilitating freezes.
Marty and team recently identified phylloxera (a pest that destroys vines) in the Seven Hills vineyard and will need to do some replanting. But rest assured Cabernet Sauvignon and its blending partners aren’t going away anytime soon. They’re taking global warming into account when choosing which clones to plant.
Interested in reading more about L’Ecole? Check out my previous posts: