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L’Ecole No. 41 2013 Estate Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $37

By on June 14, 2016

lecole-no.-41-merlot-2013-bottleMarty Clubb, Mike Sharon and the winemaking team at L’Ecole No. 41 offer their continued exploration of their fascinating Ferguson site with this Estate Merlot, a 50/50 blend with stately Seven Hills Vineyard. There’s a strong sense of Ferguson with the aromatic notes of minerality and cracked basalt alongside black raspberry, ripe cherries and plums, joined by vanilla and malted milk balls. Dark red fruit flavors of black cherry, plum and cassis led to a focused structure of long-lived plum skin tannins and raspberry acidity. A pinch of herbs adds complexity and serves as a sign of the Cabernet Franc (10%) in this cellar-worthy wine. And yet, its finesse already is beginning to show, evidenced by a gold medal at the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Rating: Outstanding!

Production: 1,100 cases

Alcohol: 14.5%

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About Great Northwest Wine

Articles credited to Great Northwest Wine are authored by Eric Degerman and other contributors. In most cases, these are wine reviews that are judged blind by the Great Northwest Wine tasting panel.

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