L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Valley Ferguson Vineyard 2021

Drink it now or cellar for up to 20 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Located in the Walla Walla Valley in Washington State, L'Ecole No. 41 is a winery founded in 1983 and now run by the third generation of the family. This award-winning wine is a classic Bordeaux blend, comprising a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon, with additions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot from L'Ecole's exclusive 42-acre single-vineyard, Ferguson. Here, the sustainably farmed vines enjoy a privileged position on a ridge of ancient lava flows at high elevations, overlooking the Walla Walla Valley. Soils composed of a thin layer of loess over fractured basalt produce distinctive wines with a strong mineral character. After fermentation, the finished wine ages in French oak (45% new) for 22 months. In the glass, the wine reveals itself as powerful and well-structured, with an intense and layered aromatic profile characterized by notes of dark fruits such as blackberry and cassis, followed by mineral and coffee hints, sweet spices, leather, and black pepper. On the palate, it is broad and complex, round and generous, with a pleasant fruit intensity and a crisp natural acidity. It is balanced and full-bodied, with firm, perfectly integrated tannins and a distinctive minerality that lingers on the long finish. Try it with herb-roasted lamb.