Winery
Information
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Winemaker:
Martin Clubb
Annual Production:
30,000 cases
Vineyard Acreage:
Partnership in 200 acres
at Seven Hills Vineyard
1.3 Estate vineyard at winery
Also contract with select growers
in Walla Walla & Columbia Valleys
Products &
Ordering:
Semillon,
Sauvignon Blanc,
Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah,
Apogee & Perigee (Red blends),
Luminesce (White blend),
and late-harvest Semillon
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Honor
Roll
Tour

and Tasting
(Seasonal. Call for
details - 509-525-0940)
Tasting
Room Info & Hours:
Open Daily except on major holidays
10:00 am to 5:00 pm - Daily
(Tasting Fee: $5
per person
Refundable with purchase of wine
Tasting fee waived for
Wine Club members.)
VISA
Master Card 
American
Express 
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Visit Historic Schoolhouse No
41
...where the past
joins the present in a quality wine-tasting experience
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As
legend has it, the raising of grapes and production of
wine in Southeastern Washington began with French
Canadian employees of the Hudson Bay Company post at
"Frenchtown" during the 1820s. Frenchtown
became today's Lowden, Washington, but the
tradition of
winemaking continued. Lowden's L'Ecole No
41 honors and preserves the area's historic winemaking tradition with
the production of premium handcrafted, varietal wines,
as well as with its choice of locations and its winery name.
L'Ecole, French for "the
school," began its winery in 1983, in the basement
of the old 1915 Schoolhouse No 41. In
1996, production was expanded by the addition of a
state-of-the-art facility built that year, while the
winery's laboratory and red wine-barrel aging took
over the basement. Located on the main floor, L'Ecole's tasting room preserved
the
schoolroom character by incorporating the original chalkboards, light
fixtures, fir floors and moldings into its finished character.
Keeping
company with L'Ecole's barrels in the cellar is a Christmas pageant mural
and child-size drinking fountain. Offices and an
oversized meeting room also echo uses of schooldays
past. Even the label for most L'Ecole wines incorporates
the historic schoolhouse theme.
While
its location enhances the pleasure of a visit, L'Ecole's reputation
rests solidly on its many years of producing
quality wines, wines consistently recognized
for their rich and flavorful, full-bodied character. A hands-on traditional approach to
winemaking at L'Ecole includes a dedication to obtaining the highest
quality fruits possible. Vineyard
investments and longstanding relationships with
distinguished growers in the Walla Walla and Columbia
Valleys have assured the high-quality viticultural
management so important to premium wines.
Maintaining
its original focus on Merlot and Semillon, L'Ecole also produces quantities
of highly recognized Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chenin Blanc,
as well as awarding winning red and white blends. As L'Ecole
No
41 increased its production of wine varietals and blends, so too did its
need for barrel storage grow. In
the fall of 2003, L'Ecole completed the construction of a new concrete
tilt-barrel storage facility that accommodates its current inventory of
more than 2,000 French and American oak barrels. In the spring of 2004,
an additional 1.3-acre vineyard was planted to Cabernet
Sauvignon next to the winery where now L'Ecole visitors can observe and
learn about a
working vineyard.
The winery is open to the public for tasting seven days a week, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, except
on major holidays. Call first for tours.

Featured L'Ecole
No 41 Wines
10% or Wine Club
Discount will be calculated on purchases of 12 or more current release
bottles.
Join L'Ecole's Wine Club, Vins de L'Ecole.
For more details and to sign up click here.
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2008 Estate Luminesce
70% Semillon / 30% Sauvignon Blanc Blend
Wine Enthusiast - 91 points – Editor’s
Choice (Nov '09)
$19.00
[Order]
Tasting Notes: Rich and complex, this
Estate Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc shows exotic star fruit, papaya, and
tropical flavors with lychee and melon on a spicy, crisp mineral finish.Winemaker Comments:
Luminesce captures the refreshing and illuminating aspect of this
classic Bordeaux blend. This wine is anchored with Semillon at its core,
providing lush tones of melon, pear and honeysuckle. The introduction of
Sauvignon Blanc broadens the flavor and texture elevating the crisp,
floral and mineral side of the wine. As with our red Bordeaux blend
Perigee, Luminesce exemplifies the signature characteristics of our
Estate Seven Hills Vineyard.
2008 Fries Vineyard Semillon
Wahluke Slope
100% Semillon
$19.00
[Order]
Tasting Notes: This crisp, aromatic gem shows
multiple layers of pear, fresh fig and apricot with spicy,
floral, honeysuckle aromas and hints of tangerine on a
clean, zesty finish.
Winemaker Comments: The Fries Vineyard
continues to prove itself as an exceptional vineyard site for Semillon.
The Wahluke Slope is the south facing slope off the Saddle Mountains.
With sandy silty soils, warm day temperatures and cool night air rolling
off the mountains, we achieve ripe fruit intensity with high natural
acidity. Since 1996, this wine has been simply too delicious not to
bottle on its own.
2008 Columbia Valley
Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay
Wine Enthusiast - 88 points
$21.00
[Order]
This wine is a blend of three distinguished vineyards:
52% Schmitt Vineyard; 36% Evergreen; 12% Bacchus. |




Regional
Winery
of the Year 2008
(Winter 2008)
"Marty Clubb has built L'Ecole N° 41 into one of Walla
Walla's flagships...making wines that represent the region,
the wines that signify Walla Walla."
—Patrick Comiskey
Read the full article
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Tasting Notes: This elegantly balanced
Chardonnay shows robust acidity and purity of fruit with
subdued tropical fruit, orange blossom and Asian pear
flavors and subtle mineral nuances that gain complexity on a
long, robust finish.
Winemaker Comments: Some of the best Chardonnays in Washington State are
grown in the slightly cooler growing conditions of Yakima Valley and in
the northern latitudes of the Columbia Valley. The Schmitt Vineyard
(Yakima Valley) provides ripe tropical fruit, while Evergreen (latitude
47 on the Columbia River) contributes crisp acidity and minerality. The
old vines at the warmer Bacchus Vineyard provide a nuance of ripe pear
on this Burgundian style Chardonnay.
Vinification: The fruit was
lightly whole-cluster pressed to tank and allowed to settle.
The juice was then racked off of the solids into mostly
second and third year French oak barrels where it was aged
sur lie and stirred for six months resulting in a rich mouth
feel and a creamy full finish.
2007
Recess Red
Columbia Valley
50% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon,
6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Released: November
2008
$17.00 [Order]
A fun, drink-me now table wine with fruity aromas of red
cherry, plum and cola. The ripe, cherry flavors and
well-integrated tannins of this great food
wine will have
you reaching for a second glass. Aged eight months in
neutral French and American oak barrels. Tasting Notes:
After the last bell of the day has rung and work is put
away, everyone needs to take time to relax and enjoy life’s
treasures. We have the perfect wine for these moments,
Recess Red. You are never too old for Recess!
Winemaker Comments: This hearty red wine is
in part comprised of the hard press fractions of each of our
vineyard lots, including some of our best vineyard sites. As
a result, many customers view this table wine as the
bargain from L’Ecole
Nº 41 (formerly known in the Pacific Northwest as
Schoolhouse Red).
2007 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Released: December 2008
2006 vintage made the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 list!
$39.00 [Order]
Tasting Notes: Its elegant, old world
structure and dense, dark fruit flavors show blackberry
and plum with flavors of cassis, dark cherry, earth and
savory herbs on a beautifully balanced finish.
Winemaker Comments:
This complex and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon reflects
the diversity of terroir in the Walla Walla Valley from
vineyards planted in wind-blown loess (our Estate Seven
Hills Vineyard and Loess Vineyard), ice-age flood silts
(Va Piano Vineyard and Pepper Bridge Vineyard) and
basalt river rock (Yellow Jacket Vineyard).
These prestigious vineyards are certified
sustainable and Salmon Safe.
Vinification: Each
vineyard lot was hand harvested ripe and gently crushed
into one-ton stainless steel fermenters. The must was
inoculated with yeast and punched down by hand during
fermentation to maximize fruit extraction. When
fermentation was complete or we were otherwise satisfied
with the level of tannin and flavor extract, the must
was gently pressed. After settling, the wine was racked
to 100% small oak barrels with approximately 40% new
oak, and then barrel aged 22 months with five rackings.
2007 Seven Hills Vineyard
Estate Syrah
Walla Walla Valley
100% Syrah
Released: April 2009
Wine Enthusiast - 92 points
Wine & Spirits - 91 points
Wine Spectator - 92 points
$36.00 [Order]
Tasting Notes: This Seven Hills Vineyard
Estate Syrah is loaded with dark spicy complex aromas of leather,
tobacco, anise and cola. The rich mid-palate shows flavors of ripe plum
and dense blackberry that give way to a concentrated and unrelenting
earthy mineral finish. Aged 18 months in 100% small oak barrels,
approximately 30% new oak.Winemaker Comments:
This Estate Syrah is a blend of three distinct blocks from Seven
Hills Vineyard: 1/3 Block 11 (relatively flat terrain), 1/3 Block 26
(north slope) and 1/3 Block 27 (south terrace). Planted with the Espequette or Phelps clone, each block contributes unique
characteristics. L’Ecole Nº 41 is a partner in the 220 acre Seven Hills
Vineyard, along with Pepper Bridge Winery and Leonetti Cellar.
Vinification: Each lot was hand harvested
ripe and gently crushed into one-ton stainless steel fermenters. The
must was inoculated with yeast and punched down by hand during
fermentation to maximize fruit extraction. When fermentation was
complete or we were otherwise satisfied with the level of tannin and
flavor extract, the must was gravity fed into the press. After a gentle
pressing, the wine was racked to tank and allowed to settle. The wine
was then racked to 100% small oak barrels, with approximately 30% new
oak, and was barrel aged 18 months with four rackings.
2006 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Estate
Apogee
Walla Walla Valley
46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot,
8% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc
Released: December 2008
The Wine Advocate - 94 points
Wine & Spirits - 92 points
Wine Spectator - 91 points
$49.00
[Order]
Tasting Notes: Boldly aromatic, this wine
has spicy aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg, earthy hints of sweet tobacco
and leather, and smoky dark fruit packed with chocolate, mint and cherry
finish. This wine was aged 22 months in 100% small
oak barrels with approximately 50% new oak.
Winemaker Comments:
Apogee
is
the point in the orbit of the moon that is the greatest
distance from the earth; the farthest point or apex.
This name reflects all that we were trying to accomplish
with the wine, reaching the ultimate in quality.
Vinification: The handpicked
grapes were gently crushed and de-stemmed into small, one-ton stainless
steel fermenters. The must was fermented with Pasteur Red and Cepage
Cabernet yeast and gently punched down by hand two to three times daily.
At the ideal balance of tannin and fruit extraction, the must was gently
pressed and transferred to tank to settle. The resulting wine was aged
22 months in 100% small oak barrels with approximately 50% new oak. The
wine was racked five times, then bottled unfined and lightly filtered to
preserve its natural flavors.
2006 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Perigee
Walla Walla Valley
56% Cabernet Sauvignon; 34% Merlot; 10% Cabernet Franc
Released: December 2008
The Wine Advocate - 93 points
Wine & Spirits - 93 points
Wine Enthusiast - 93 points
$49.00 [Order]
Tasting Notes: Perigee exemplifies our Seven Hills Estate
Vineyard’s characteristic cedary, richly structured elegance. Polished
with perfumed aromas of exotic spice, velvety blackberry and silky black
cherry fruit, this wine has an earthy, chalky, minerality which exudes
power and grace on a spicy pepper finish. Aged 22 months in
100% small oak barrels with approximately 50% new oak.
Winemaker Comments:
Perigee
is the closest point to the
earth in the moon’s orbit. Closeness to the earth is an attractive
attribute for Seven Hills Vineyard, since the wine is known for its
earthy structure and suggests the environmentally sound and sustainable
viticultural practices we utilize.
Vinification: The handpicked
grapes were gently crushed and de-stemmed into small, one-ton stainless
steel fermenters. The must was fermented with Pasteur Red and Cepage
Cabernet yeast and gently punched down by hand two to three times daily.
At the ideal balance of tannin and fruit extraction, the must was gently
pressed and transferred to tank to settle. The resulting wine was aged
22 months in 100% small oak barrels with approximately 50% new oak. The
wine was racked five times, then bottled unfined and lightly filtered to
preserve its natural flavors.
To
review and order L'Ecole wines, merchandise or wine gifts:
Link to the winery's
online
Wine Shop
Email your
order
FAX your order to 509-525-2775
Call in your order to 509-525-0940


Copyright © 1997 - 2009
Susan R. O'Hara. All rights reserved.
Last revised:
12/20/2009
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