2018 L'Ecole No. 41 Estate Ferguson

Happy Sunday!  I accomplished all of my yard work today and finally have a chance to sit down and open up a nice bottle of wine (though I have plans to eat on the patio and have a nice fire tonight!).  Given the end of the weekend, I thought I'd open up a bottle of a perennial favorite that I had the chance to bring back from Walla Walla on my vacation.  I first toured the Ferguson Vineyard back in 2013 (you can see that post here), which shows you how time flies!  This latest vintage of Ferguson is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (24%), Cabernet Franc (11%), Malbec (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) all from the Ferguson Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's have a taste!

The wine has the appearance of a fine Cabernet, but looks can be deceiving!  A swirl releases a cascade of delightful aromas, leather, black currant and a hint of umami.  Take a sip and you're awash in tart cherry, black raspberry and currant that ease gracefully to some earthy minerality, graphite, smoke and basalt, before bringing you full circle to some notes of mulberry at the finish.  The tannins are nicely integrated, making the finish a long, dry and pleasant affair that you wish would linger just a bit longer.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant dinking wine that highlights the strengths of the Ferguson Vineyard and the long history of expert Bordeaux style blending in the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine would be ideal with a hearty steak, smoked beef brisket, or even some wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine on the patio with a rare grilled prime ribcap, along with some horseradish and blistered cherry tomatoes, some steamed red potatoes with butter and parsley and some green beans almondine.  Cheers!

2017 L'Ecole No. 41 Estate Ferguson

Happy Sunday!  It was a surprisingly productive day thanks to the weather forecasters doing their usual job of being wrong.  It was supposed to rain today, but instead it's been sunny and in the mid-50s all day, so I had a chance to clear up some branches and do my first lawn mowing of the year.  It's been six months since I last started the mower, so needless to say it took a bit of coaxing to get her started but once she got moving she ran like a champ!  I also did a little work and laundry, so now I feel like I deserve a nice glass of wine.  Tonight's wine is the latest wine club shipment from L'Ecole No. 41, the 2017 Estate Ferguson.  I've been a fan of this wine since I had the good fortune to visit the vineyard nearly seven years ago (see Tour of the Seven Hills and Ferguson Vineyards), and it's been a favorite wine ever since.  The 2017 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (28%), Cabernet Franc (7%) and Malbec (5%) from the aforementioned vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see how the new vintage stacks up!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from such a Cabernet heavy blend.  The nose is classic Ferguson, with leather, green grass, black cherry and a hint of mint over perfect mineral undertones.  The taste is delightfully fruit forward with a rush of tart cherry, black currant and plum that transitions to subtle notes of sage, vanilla bean and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are a bit tight, which can be expected in such a young wine, but they provide nice support for the long and exceedingly dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a continued solid effort from L'Ecole and this vineyard.  This wine would pair nicely with a big grilled ribeye, hearty pasta or barbecue, but tonight I'm going a different route as usual.  I went to the market yesterday to pick up some produce and I happened to notice they had leftover Smithfield smoked hams on sale for just 89 cents a pound, so how could I resist making an Easter ham a week late?  So tonight this great wine is being enjoyed with a rich, smoky ham, along with some corn bread, a baked potato and some cherry wood smoked bacon roasted asparagus.  Cheers!

2015 L'Ecole No. 41 Estate Ferguson

Happy Monday!  It's been an uneventful start to the week, though it was in the mid-70s today which means I need to grill and enjoy a glass of wine on the patio, and not necessarily in that order.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 L'Ecole No. 41 Estate Ferguson, which is officially last year's vintage as I just got a few bottles of the 2016  in my recent wine club shipment.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (7%) and Malbec (7%) from the Ferguson Vineyard in Walla Walla.  So let's see how this vintage stacks up!

The wine is a deep purple color at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, a testament to the concentrations of Cabernet and Merlot.  The nose presents aromas of dusty basalt, with hints of leather, mocha and blueberries throughout.  The taste is a rush of black cherry with a bit of tartness that transitions to notes of tobacco, espresso and dark chocolate midpalate.  There is quite a bit of minerality in this wine, a testament to the varietals in this Bordeaux style blend.  The tannins are refined and well structured, providing for a lingering dry finish that holds the mouth for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's quite impressive, but just a bit short of the 2014 vintage in my view.  In any case this is still a fantastic wine and perfect for a big honkin' steak, which is a good thing since tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a gigantic cowboy cut bone-in ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare along with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and grilled leeks.  And no, I could not finish the whole steak but there's always tomorrow!  Cheers!

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!

2013 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Merlot

Ok, tonight I fully admit I am about to pass out!  I started this morning stacking logs from the trees I had trimmed yesterday, then my neighbor was kind enough to let me try out his lawn vacuum for leaves (I'm getting one!) and the rest of the afternoon was spent raking and piling up leaves, so now I am so tired and sore it wouldn't surprise me if I was asleep by 9:00!  But before that happens, I've decided to open up a nice bottle of wine to celebrate the tail end of Merlot Month, the 2013 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Merlot, a blend of Merlot from the Seven Hills and Ferguson Vineyards.  So let's see how awesome this wine is!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass.   The nose presents aromas of blackberry, cherry and leather, with a good bit of minerality.  The taste is just lovely, with a lovely combination of ripe red fruit up front, cherry, currant and raspberry that transition effortlessly to wonderful earthy notes of cedar, earth and dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish is divine, with the mineral complexity so prevalent with the Ferguson vineyard shining through as you savor the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, I am a big fan of Merlot, and this one really sings despite its youth.  This is a great fall wine that would pair with a variety of hearty dishes, from stews, to heart chili to roast beef or lamb.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime filet mignon, with a baked potato and grilled rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson

Happy Friday!  It's been a long week, so I am sure glad that the weekend is here and the weather is supposed to be lovely!  So to start the weekend off right I am grillin' and uncorkin' and tonight I've uncorked a bottle of 2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson, a limited production (890 cases) blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%), Merlot (27%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Malbec (6%) from the Ferguson Vineyard in Walla Walla.  I recall barrel tasting the first vintage at the vineyard about three years ago, and I've previously reviewed the 2011 (see here) and 2013 (see here) so let's see how the even year stacks up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, the sort of color composition that gets your mouth watering.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, leather, tar and a hint of mint and violet.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry and cherry that transitions effortlessly to some mineral notes of basalt and spicy black pepper and Asian spice midpalate.  The finish is smooth, dry and lingering with well structured tannins lending some vibrancy at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5 as this is my favorite of the three vintages I've tried.  It's an ideal dinner wine, as it could go with a variety of wonderful dishes, from salmon to roast beef, but tonight of course I'm enjoying this wine with steak!  In fact, it's a rare grilled bone-in Angus ribeye with a spinach salad, grilled leeks and asparagus and a baked potato.  I'll enjoy this wine with my steak and then move this party to the patio where I can continue enjoying it into the wonderful summer evening.  Cheers!