L'ecole No. 41
L'Ecole No. 41
Ferguson Commemorative Reserve Red Blend 2013
Sanglier Cellars
Rouge du Tusque Syrah Blend 2015
At home tonight enjoying this wine with a pork stew. The wine showed very well tonight and looking forward to future bottles. 41% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre, 19% Syrah & 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. No sign that this vintage has peaked. — 4 years ago
Turley
Estate Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2016
On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest conductor Herbert Blomstedt is leading an all MOZART program tonight (Piano Concerto No. 17 in G) with the incredibly talented Emanuel (Manny!) Ax on piano and then concluding with MOZART (Symphony No. 41, Jupiter).
Nose is a little tight on this right now, but it is incredibly stoney, like a walk through a stone masons lot and a neighbor two properties down recently mowed the lawn.
The palate is opening, good minerality, light acidity, tropical fruit, yet showing restraint like no other CA Sauvignon Blanc I've ever experienced. Interesting stuff, likely will finish this bottle tomorrow (with updated notes) so that we can see what extended air time reveals... — 6 years ago
Pepper Bridge
Estate Vineyards Walla Walla Valley Merlot 2014
The 14 is a blend of 77% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc & 7% Merlot. Nose of; ruby dark cassis, blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, black raspberries, hues of blue fruits, pepper and liquid violets. The mouthfeel is lush & ruby. M+ body & M+ tannins. Blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries and hues of blue fruits. Crushed rocks, soft leather, dry herbs, underbrush, loamy soil powder, notes of cigar, violets, dark florals, nice acidity and beautifully round, lush finish with sex appeal. Photos of; an aerial view of Pepper Bridge, estate grapes going through veraison, Owner-Norm McKibben, and ground shot of the estate. Producer notes and history...Norm McKibben is one of founding fathers of Walla Walla's wine industry. To his good friends and colleagues, he is better know as "Stormin' Norman." In Norm's 30 plus years in Walla Walla, the valley has evolved from a 40 vineyard acres to an appellation with more than 2,800 acres under vine. A good portion of the boom can be attributed to Norm even after coming to the game late after working for several decades as an engineer in the construction industry. Not wanting to retire after, he moved to Walla Walla to become an apple farmer. In 1989, he realized Walla Walla's potential for grape growing. Norm planted his first vineyard with help from his wife, Virginia and their eldest son, Shane. Two years later, Norm added Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These vines soon became the backbone of Pepper Bridge. Not long after he expanded his business and resume further. Norm got involved in the budding wine industry. He served as a partner and director at Canoe Ridge Vineyards, Hogue Cellars and worked with a number of Walla Walla's leading vintners. In 1996, he partnered with Gary Figgins of Leonetti Cellar and Marty Clubb of L'Ecole No. 41. At this point, McKibben had increased his vineyard holdings to 200 acres. In 1998, Norm officially started Pepper Bridge Winery. Today, Pepper Bridge Winery is a benchmark property in Walla Walla and Norm is an icon of the industry. He manages and consults for more than 600 acres of the top vineyard sites in Walla Walla; Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills and Les Collines. Norm also has introduced state of the art irrigation systems, soil moisture temperature monitoring equipment and sustainable farming techniques. Norm is a big believer in sustainable viticulture. All of his vineyards are certified sustainable by VINEA, the Walla Walla Valley's Sustainable Trust, and LIVE, an Oregon-based sustainable viticulture organization. They are also certified Salmon Safe and are monitored by the IOBC, the international body responsible for setting sustainability standards. In 1998, the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers honored Norm as "Grape Grower of the Year." That same year, he was appointed chair of the Washington Wine Commission and served in that position until retiring from the organization in 2001. If there is a Maverick of the Walla Walla wine producers, it would be Norm. — 7 years ago
L'Ecole No. 41
Ferguson Vineyard Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012
L'Ecole No. 41
Old Vines Yakima Valley Chenin Blanc 2020
N: green melon, white peach, honeysuckle, tangerine skin
P: “” bright with rounded beeswax texture on the mid-palate, ginger, green apple
#sample — 2 years ago
Peter Michael Winery
'L'Esprit des Pavots' Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2016
fully opaque violet, magenta rim, prominent tears; plum, black cherry, dark chocolate, coffee, leather, and cedar; dense, concentrated, juicy dark fruit, good length; full bodied, medium acidity, gritty tannins, no heat despite 15.3% ABV; made from blend of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Petit Verdot sourced from two estate vineyards with 59% of fruit from Les Pavots vineyard in Knights Valley in Sonoma County and 41% of fruit from Au Paradis vineyard in Oakville, aged 18% in French oak; a very nice fruit forward, early drinking second wine; $110 — 3 years ago
L'Ecole No. 41
Old Vines Columbia Valley Chenin Blanc 2015
A refreshing wine. Light, fruity and a little bit of acidity. — 4 years ago
Verget
Viré-Clessé Chardonnay 2014
Pale to Mid Lemon in colour. Appley mineral aromas. On the palate quite rich mouth filling fruit with saline minerality coming through. A medium to full bodied white - 100% Chardonnay from Macon-Villages. Fermented in stainless steel - no oak maturation required - the fruit is rich enough on its own. Tastes more like a New World Chardonnay. Good QPR at $41 AUD. — 6 years ago
Turley
Old Vines California Zinfandel 2015
Are there better wines? Yes
Are there better wines with leftovers? No
From Turley: “Old Vines is composed of a variety of old sites from California that are either too small to be made into a vineyard designate wine or are “new” to the Turley family (and way of farming). Vines are anywhere from 41 to 129 years old, and a true representation of California old vine Zinfandel, hailing from vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Contra Costa, Amador and Paso Robles.” — 6 years ago
L'Ecole No. 41
Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Cabernet Franc 2006
Fantastic cherry, blackberry w hint of smoke — 7 years ago
L'Ecole No. 41
Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Solid Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State's Walla Walla Valley. Good fruit and earthiness. Clean and good production qualities. Still, something about it that makes it just a little too smooth. 2013 vintage, aided with 20 minutes and some rigorous aeration in the glass. — 7 years ago
Massican
Annia Napa Valley Tocai Friulano Blend 2018
So what does it mean for a wine to be “drinkable?” We tend to throw that word around a lot in wine writing or criticism, but what does it really mean? For me it’s a perfect combination of seamlessness and deliciousness. Seamless in that there’s no single texture, flavor, or sensory quality of the wine that sticks out and calls attention to itself. Deliciousness in the delight of its flavors and aromas. The combination makes bottles disappear soooooo fast. Clearly I did not buy enough bottles of this wine, which offers a stunningly easy-to-drink melange of white flowers, Asian pears, apple, and pomelo pith layered over a stony core shot through with seawater. A blend of 48% Tocai Friulano, 41% Ribolla Gialla, and 11% Chardonnay, it’s one of California’s most iconic white wines in my book. 2018 Massican “Annia” White Blend, Napa Valley, CA. Go @danpetroski, go! — 3 years ago
L'Ecole No. 41
Estate Grown Walla Walla Valley Merlot Cabernet Franc 2015
So much depth and character. Supple mouthfeel and rich velvety flavors. A true pleasure to drink — 6 years ago
Chappellet
Signature Donn Chappellet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
Our monthly 4th Friday event at the storage facility. No requirements, just wine you want to share with others! Always an enjoyable time.
If I told you the color of this wine you would think I was lying. It looked like it was maybe 10yrs old...it was 41! Mark was kind enough to open this after I mentioned I was attending a Chappellet dinner tonight. Leather, oil and dusted cherry. Menthol, integrated tannins, and still has a voluptuous mouth feel. Astounded that this showed as well as it did! — 7 years ago
L'Ecole No. 41
Columbia Valley Syrah 2014
L'Ecole means "The School" for those of you French challenged. On the nose, dark currants, smoke, grilled meats, black licorice anise, white pepper, milk & dark chocolate, dry powdery soil with stones & dark decayed flowers. The palate is rich & thick. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, strawberries after it opens up, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, violets, dark flowers, dry stones with dry top soil, grilled meats, pepper & black licorice anise. Still quite big...needs time to develop. Good round acidity and lush, sexy long finish. — 7 years ago
Château Giscours
Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1975
Very young for a 41 year old wine. Atypical for Margaux; no flowers on the nose, just blackcurrents, wood (bitch-like) and a faint mushroomy note, not unlike truffles. Still very tannic. Typical of Giscours from the 70s/80s - the tannin has outlasted the fruit. Still very pleasant though. — 8 years ago
Paul Weil
Smooth and sophisticated, this wine has excellent balance of fruits and acidity, with a hint of spice and pepper. The oak is sparingly applied so the flavors really pop. — 2 years ago