Happy Inaguration Day to everyone. A winery that exudes class and consistency, I fondly recall tasting at L’Ecole No. 41 back in 2002 as a Whitman College Senior. For years I was struck by these wines that were an incredible value for what you saw in the glass. For years Marty Clubb helped build this brand into a national and international pillar of balanced and well-priced Washington wines.
The third winery in Walla Walla, L’Ecole No. 41 the winery invested in their Walla Walla Estate Ferguson and Seven Hills Vineyards, now utilizing 100% sustainable farming practices.
Over time L’Ecole No. 41 shifted to the ultra-premium market, crafting two wines, their ‘Perigee’ and ‘Apogee’ as their highest quality red wines. Marty had a unique vision for his ‘Apogee’ wine, and was the first winery to produce a wine from Pepper Bridge, their Bordeaux blend, Apogee, back in 1993. Sitting at 850 feet elevation, the Pepper Bridge Vineyard was originally 10 acres, first planted in 1991 and has expanded over the years to 175 acres. Located near the Blue Mountains, it is a cooler and more wet site than Seven Hills. Set on thin loess overlying deep, ice-age flood silts, this site is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec.
The ‘Apogee’ wines are made for long-term aging. I have long admired these special wines prior to my life as a wine critic. The wines are very classically structured, with incredible tension and finesse. Over the years I’ve found that these wines need considerable air before rounding out. The flavors and aromatics from these wines typically show a great core of black fruits with herbal and coffee tones. I was fortunate enough to try several older ‘Apogee’ wines for this special vertical tasting. One of the highlights certainly was there 2006 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine (OB, 94) which is really at its peak now. Don’t be afraid to pop the cork on this one if you have a few bottles. The tannins were refined, as a massive core of dark fruits will greet you alongside lovely soil and herbal tones that round out this warm vintage red wine. Another highlight certainly was the 2008 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine (OB, 95) which is absolutely scintillating now at the twelve year mark. This wine is dense yet highly elegant and still has an exceedingly long life ahead of it. Just as good is the 2012 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine (OB, 95) which has incredible tension and finesse, with beautiful red and dark fruits alongside a rich mouthfeel and stunning texture. Learn more about these special wines at https://www.lecole.com/ Here are my notes from the L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ vertical tasting.
2006 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine- The gorgeous 2006 ‘Apogee’ is a compelling blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 8% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc all sourced from the ‘Pepper Bridge Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Valley. Ripe boysenberry puree and cigar ash emerge from the glass, alongside cocoa powder and coffee ground aromatics that all march in unison. The freshness is really impressive, as is the err of elegance, as very silky tannins frame a deep core of dark fruits, with sagebrush, espresso bean and loamy soil tones. The soft mouthfeel is great, as is the light dusting of salinity that adds to the enjoyment. Truly gorgeous right now at the fourteen year mark, the 2006 ‘Apogee’ has at least another five to ten years left. Drink 2020-2026- 94
2007 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine- Coming from truly one of my all-time favorite vintages in Washington, the wine is a gorgeous blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 30% Merlot and small parts Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Intriguingly both on the nose and the palate, there is a deeper core of red fruits than dark fruits that emerge, making this quite different to the 2006 bottling. This comes off even more elegant with herbal undertones that mingle with red currants, Rainier cherry, cocoa powder and firm tannins holding everything in place. I don’t see this wine improving but it is sensational now and the combination of freshness and tannin quality make me think this will go another decade, as the red fruits will slowly dissipate and more Bordelaise character will emerge. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2008 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine- 2008 was known for its cool spring and warmth in the summer with few heat spikes and great conditions during harvest. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, with small parts Malbec and Cabernet Franc, this shows tar aromatics with pipe tobacco, mocha and shades of dark currants that all sing in unison. The mouthfeel and texture is pillowy and soft. Once on the mouth, this effortlessly glides, showing a seamless effect. Ripe red currants mingle with black cherry cordial, blackberry pie and chocolate covered espresso bean flavors. This is just sensational now, as the 2008 ‘Apogee’ has a long wary to go in the cellar. Drink 2020-2030- 95
2010 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine- The coldest vintage in the vertical tasting the 2010 ‘Apogee’ was sourced from a later harvest — a vintage that tracked similarly to 1999. The wine is one of the stars of the vintage, blending 56% Cabernet Sauvignon with 33% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Once on the nose this takes on layers of dark currants that mingle with blackberry cordial, cigar ash and Turkish coffee that all take shape in the glass. The palate has great finesse and texture. Ripe red and dark fruits parade with mocha, creosote and garrigue with salty undertones. This is fabulous at this drinking stage, as the 2010 ‘Apogee’ will cellar well over the next five to seven years. Drink 2020-2026- 93
2012 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine- Truly one of the great vintages in Washington over the past twenty years, the 2012 vintage saw ideal temperatures throughout the growing season. A gorgeous blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec and small portions Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the wine shows anise, menthol, dark currants, and red cherry cordial tones that all take shape in the glass. The palate is soft, round and generous, giving off a fantastic sense of mouthfeel. This is highly elegant wine with great poise but very nice mid-palate ripeness. Ripe red and dark fruits mingle with a light veil of salinity that combines with coffee grounds and sagebrush on the palate. Gorgeous to enjoy at the eight year mark, this beautiful wine has a long way to go. But why wait? Drink 2020-2035- 95
2013 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine- Sourced from a very warm vintage, intriguingly L’Ecole No. 41 moved to add 15% Malbec to this blend, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (20%). Rich dark chocolate espresso bean (maybe from the Malbec?) mingles with smoke, black currants and black cherry compote on the nose. The palate is soft and generous with a great sense of tension and salinity. Layers of rich dark fruits parade with mocha, tar, anise and stony minerals. This is fantastic, beautifully textured stuff now that has a long way to go. Drink 2020-2033- 94