It was such a pleasure as I made my way last weekend to one of the Washington mainstays of the Walla Walla Valley. One of Washington’s oldest wineries, L’Ecole No. 41 is set at a historic schoolhouse outside the town of Walla Walla. They have moved winemakers and recent hire (last year) David Rosenthal has a longstanding history in the Washington wine industry and made glorious white wines for years at Chateau Ste. Michelle.
The new wines are seriously good and also offer some downright killer value. The 2025 ‘Old Vine’ Chenin Blanc (OB, 92) is one of the best wines of its kind in Washington State. Dense and rich with excellent nutty nuances, this is shining brightly right now and comes in at under 25 bucks. I adored the 2022 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘DSB Ferguson Vineyard’ Red Wine (OB, 99) which flirts with perfection and has magical flavor density considering the coolness of the vintage. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://lecole.com/ Here are the great new wines by L’Ecole No. 41.
2025 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Old Vine’ Chemin Blanc- Sourced from the Upland, Willard and Phil Church Vineyards, this opens with brioche and mango tones that mingle well with shades of juicy star fruit. The palate is juicy and rich with terrific freshness and texture, alongside kumquat and nutty nuances. Mainly stainless steel fermented. Drink 2026-2031- 92
2025 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Stillwater Creek’ Semillon- The outstanding 2025 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Stillwater Creek’ Semillon shows off rich lemon zest, green melon and cashew nut tones on the palate. Offering excellent freshness and verve, enjoy now. Drink 2026-2031- 92
2022 L’Ecole No 41 ‘DSB Ferguson Vineyard’ Red Wine- A new wine to the portfolio, the 2022 ‘DSB’ comes from the famed Ferguson Vineyard that is set on fractured basalt. This is a new barrel-selection wine to the L’Ecole portfolio that was aged for an extra year in oak. This is utterly spectacular stuff with its stony essence alongside bulls blood, crème de violette, Turkish coffee alongside fabulous salty/stony tension. This shows very impressive power in this slightly cooler vintage. Try to give this beauty another year in the bottle. Drink 2027-2047- 99
2023 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘DSB Ferguson Vineyard’ Red Wine- NOT YET READY (98-100)
2024 L’Ecole No 41 ‘Ferguson Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc- Shining brightly in this warm vintage, the 2024 L’Ecole No 41 ‘Ferguson’ Cabernet Franc offers orange bell pepper, fresh sage, milk chocolate and Arabica bean notes on the nose. The palate is plush and dense with a seamless mouthfeel. Decadent and plush, enjoy now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2026-2044- 96
2024 L’Ecole No 41 ‘Ferguson’ Merlot- The 2024 L’Ecole No 41 ‘Ferguson’ Merlot shows a seamless character on the palate. Wet gravel, anise, crème de cassis and shades of creosote all combine on the palate. It has a very old-world feel in terms of its salty minerality. Gorgeous to enjoy now, watch this evolve over the next fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2026-2044- 96