2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Merlot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Even though it's about 90° today, I managed to go for a nice bike ride after work and now it's time for a glass of wine and a bit of dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottled I stumbled upon in the cellar a few days ago, the 2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Estate Merlot.  This wine is produced from fruit mainly from the Seven Hills Vineyard (58%) with the remainder sourced from the Ferguson Vineyard (42%).  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, very characteristic of a high-quality Merlot.  The nose presents aromas of leather, strawberry, cherry and hints of tobacco.  The taste is a rush of cool black fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that dance on the palate before shifting to some notes of vanilla bean and white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are still fairly robust despite the time in the cellar, resulting in a wonderfully long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a combination of classic old world style Walla Walla Merlot with some added minerality from the Ferguson fruit.  This wine would pair well with steak, hard aged cheeses or a variety of summer grilling fare.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some grilled steak and shrimp tacos.  Cheers!