Sunday, November 19, 2017

2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson

Happy Sunday!  It got a bit chilly today, so a perfect day to enjoy a nice Walla Walla red blend!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of the 2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson red wine, a classic Bordeaux style blend from the Walla Walla AVA in Washington.  This wine is also a special treat as I had the chance to visit the Ferguson Vineyard back in 2013 (you can read about that here).  This particular vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (32%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Malbec (6%), so let's see how this wine is shaping up!


The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass.  The nose is a beautiful combination of leather, blackberry and dusty mineral aromas that really speak to the terroir at Ferguson.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit up front, black cherry, blackberry and plum that transition to some lovely mineral and smoky notes midpalate.  The finish is near perfect, with well structured tannins providing the backbone and just a hint of spice and characteristic Bordeaux "funk" coming in at the end of the long, smooth, and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a pleasant drinking wine right now, but I'm confident it will get better with some time in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from firmer cheeses to roast beef, to wild Pacific salmon, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a Thai chili rubbed New York strip with grilled broccoli rabe and mini peppers and a baked potato.  A perfect Sunday dinner, cheers!

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