L’Ecole No. 41 2011 Estate Seven Hills Vineyard Perigee, Walla Walla Valley, $50

For 20 years, Marty Clubb has been producing meritage-style wines from the Walla Walla Valley’s two most acclaimed sites — Apogee (Pepper Bridge Vineyard) and Perigee (Seven Hills Vineyard, which L’Ecole has ownership in). This vintage remains driven by Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), but there’s a bit more Merlot (20%) in front of the Cabernet Franc (10%), Malbec (6%) and Petit Verdot than the 2010 version. As always, these wines are built for cellaring, but there’s plenty of immediate enjoyment with aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, black olive and toast as signs of the continued 50% new French oak program. Inside, there are more cherries with blackberry, ageworthy frontal tannins and juicy acidity, and a finish of cocoa powder and oregano. This earned a silver medal at the 2014 Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition.

Rating: Excellent

Production: 1,115 cases

Alcohol: 14.5%

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