Perigee
2015
A family-owned business, L'Ecole Nº 41 was founded by Jean and Baker Ferguson. Today, the winery is owned and operated by their daughter and son-in-law, Megan and Martin Clubb. Built in 1915, the schoolhouse is located in historic Frenchtown, a small community just west of Walla Walla, Washington. Frenchtown derived its name from the many French-Canadians who settled the valley during the early 1800s. Legend has it, these men of French descent were raising grapes and producing wine. By the...
See the L'ECOLE NO. 41 detail page for more information on this brand
Over 30 years of meticulous vineyard management is fundamental to the quality of L’Ecole wines and their reputation for excellence. They are engaged in growing and making 100% of their wines. Hand harvested with an average of 25.7° brix, picked from September 1 through to October 1, 2015. Proper irrigation and canopy management were critical to ensure vine health and quality fruit health during the unusually hot July.
Each lot, with over 30 years of meticulous vineyard management, was hand harvested ripe and gently crushed into 1.5 and 5 ton open-top stainless-steel fermenters. The fruit was carefully handled through hand punch downs and gravity assisted movements throughout the winemaking process. The wine was cleanly racked to 100% small French oak barrels, 40% new, with five rackings over 22 months.
The Estate Perigee captures the essence of Seven Hills Vineyard’s characteristic rich elegance, seductive aromas, and earthy structure. Perigee exemplifies this vineyard’s characteristic cedar and black plum structured elegance. Alluring aromas of blueberry, cigar box, and herbal flavours are accented with notes of cassis and earth on a fine tannin finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 56% of this blend, with the balance Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. It's locked up on first pour, with notes of barrel spice, dark chocolate, graphite, cassis, green herb and purple flower. The palate brings abundant cherry flavors backed by brawny, slightly astringent tannins. It shows a lot more tannic heft than this vineyard is often known for, needing significant time to settle in.
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Bright ruby-red. Penetrating perfume of cassis, licorice, chocolate, herbs and tobacco, plus a cedary note that's typical of the site and a hint of blackberry from the Petit Verdot. Chewy, very rich wine with terrific inner-mouth energy and subtle violet, laurel and rose petal lift from the Cabernet Franc. The longest and most palate-staining of these 2015 reds to this point, with the late-arriving tannins coating the teeth without turning dry. Marty Clubb mentioned that this wine historically was from the highest or the oldest block in Seven Hills but that with more sites to choose from today, he now has more options for making this wine.
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