L'Ecole 41 Walla Walla Valley Estate Merlot 2016
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine &
Spirits
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This elegant Merlot reveals aromas of dark fruit, tobacco leaf, cedar and clove. It’s rich texture is elevated by dense flavors of black cherry and espresso on a complex earth finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A stunning merlot that proves what this grape is capable of in Washington State! Ravishing blueberry nose with delicate, minty freshness, then a medium-to full-bodied palate, on which velvety tannins are married to bright acidity and minerality that drives the long, pure finish
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Jeb Dunnuck
Slightly more expensive, the 2016 Merlot Walla Walla Valley is all estate fruit and made from 76% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in 40% new oak. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by notes of cassis, leafy herbs, damp earth, and graphite. Balanced, medium to full-bodied, seamless, and beautifully put together, it's a terrific, high-class Merlot to drink over the coming 7-8 years as well.
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Wine & Spirits
Leading with textbook Walla Walla tobacco-tin scents, this wine has a bright core of cherry and plum flavor—a hallmark of Seven Hills vineyard, where half of this fruit was sourced; the other half came from Ferguson, which may account for the wine’s firm tannins. It has the stuffing to lay down; or decant it now for steak.
Other Vintages
2020-
James
Suckling - Decanter
- Vinous
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine &
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Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Founded in 1983 in the Walla Walla Valley, L'Ecole No 41 is one of Washington State's most iconic and oldest family-owned wineries. Housed in the historic Frenchtown School depicted on our label, we have earned international acclaim for producing distinctive wines of the highest quality. We craft ultra-premium wines that reflect the unmistakable typicity of Washington State and the unique terroir of our Walla Walla Valley vineyards.
Growing and making 100% of our wines, each bottle is handcrafted with a commitment to quality in the vineyards and the winery. More than three decades of winemaking experience, ongoing investments in our Walla Walla Estate Ferguson and Seven Hills Vineyards, and long term relationships with many of the most prominent vineyards in Washington State are central to our well-known reputation for quality and consistency across our wine portfolio. These tenets will continue to sustain L'Ecole well into the future.
L'Ecole is one of the most honored wineries in Washington State. We are proud to be recognized by Wine & Spirits Magazine as a Top 100 Winery of the Year for fourteen consecutive years. In 2014, Decanter awarded our 2011 Estate Ferguson the International Trophy for Best Bordeaux Blend in the World! In 2016, the 2013 Ferguson won the International Trophy for Best New World Bordeaux Blend from the Six Nations Wine Challenge.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.