THE WINE KNOWS | by Andy Perdue L'Ecole No. 41 and the 2018 Perigee

L’Ecole N° 41 provides unique taste of its 2018 Perigee

Aglobal pandemic turned a top Walla Walla Valley winery’s in-person outreach idea into an educational opportunity for adventurous wine consumers. But first, the back story from the iconic schoolhouse in the tiny town of Lowden.

L’Ecole N° 41 can be viewed as a template for a Bordeaux-inspired house in Washington state with signature red blends crafted in an Old World style. In 2014 and in 2016, L’Ecole’s then-nascent Estate Ferguson program — a Bordeaux blend — earned impressive international trophies almost immediately from the Decanter Global Wine Awards in London and the Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia. Those grapes were pulled from the fascinating Ferguson Vineyard, a site named for winery founders Jean and Baker Ferguson.

Managing winemaker Marty Clubb, who married their daughter, Megan, also makes strategic use of grapes from Seven Hills Vineyard, another historic estate planting that’s south of Walla Walla, just over the border near Milton-Freewater, Ore., and just downhill from Ferguson.

Seven Hills Vineyard was established in 1997 by Clubb, Norm McKibben of Pepper Bridge Winery fame, and Gary Figgins, founder of Leonetti Cellar. Seven Hills is part of the SeVein Vineyards development, an 1,800-acre vineyard complex that could be worthy of its own American Viticultural Area status. However, Clubb does not have plans to pursue a niche AVA, choosing instead to support the Walla Walla Valley’s regional reputation.

The following for Seven Hills fruit and the acclaim for Clubb’s wines set the stage for Perigee, a red blend made from historic vines that showcases the depth and complexity that the Walla Walla Valley is known for. It’s named for the point where the moon is closest to Earth each month.

ANDY PERDUE

In the past 15 years, proprietary red blends have become the largest category in Washington wine as varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah increased in 10 | greatnorthwestwine.com

acreage. Clubb’s 30 vintages reveal a deft touch with blends, earning high scores from the top international wine critics in addition to those sweepstakes victories in wine competitions.

Perigee is a Meritage-style blend of the five primary red grapes of the Bordeaux region: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

The final blend of the 2018 Perigee included 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 percent Merlot, 19 percent of Petit Verdot, 16 percent Cabernet Franc and 9 percent Malbec — each playing their role in a wine that reveals strength and balance.

And this is where L’Ecole moved from classroom instruction to remote learning.

To help distinguish Perigee in the marketplace, the L’Ecole team decided to bottle each of the five components of the 2018 Perigee into half-bottles for a national promotion. Such a component tasting is rarely available because the wines not involved in such a bottling ended up blended into other projects. And, frankly, it’s harder to work with the 375-milliliter bottles — half bottles called “splits.”

However, the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on the winery’s plans for a cross-country educational tour. So the L’Ecole team pivoted, shipping a bottle of the 2018 Perigee and its five components from the 2018 vintage to wine buyers and sommeliers across the country. They conducted the tasting virtually through video conferencing.

Fortunately, there is a unique opportunity for L’Ecole fans because some of the 2018 Perigee component sets are still available. The winery occasionally conducts component tastings with wine club members and other customers, and the sets are available for purchase to have your own tasting party at home.

This is a rare educational opportunity for consumers — kind of like peeking at the test answers — to experience the taste and terroir decisions that go into crafting a stellar red blend.

My own tasting through the Perigee and its components was a lot of fun.

I began with the finished wine, tasting it to get a sense for its balance and fruit components. Then, I spent time with each separate varietal, contemplating what decisions were made during blending trials.

During my career, I’ve had the good fortune of sitting in on blending sessions and barrel tastings of other projects by other wineries. Here, as I tasted each wine, I pictured L’Ecole N° 41 winemaker Marcus Rafanelli as an orchestra conductor, with each separate wine an instrument playing a role in creating complex music. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot were the foundation of the wine, providing the structure and the main fruit components. The Merlot filled in some of the mid-notes. The Malbec brought acidity and dark notes, while the Cabernet Franc filled the gaps with its fruity and herbal notes.

An important realization is that each component of this blend was good enough to stand alone, but the five together resulted in an amazing signature blend.

L’Ecole N° 41 club members and fans can learn more about the Perigee component tastings, an educational opportunity rarely made available to wine consumers. Contact the tasting room at 509-525-0940 or info@lecole. com to inquire about upcoming events and/or purchasing options.

I hope this L’Ecole N° 41 Perigee concept inspires more Pacific Northwest wineries to create similar educational opportunities — both for consumers and to help market our region’s wonderful wines to international wine buyers, restaurants and media.

• • •

Another silver lining of the pandemic is that the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s much-touted wine education courses now are available online.

Previously, you often had to travel to a big city such as Seattle or Portland to take these classes — adding considerably to the cost. Now, you take the courses in the comfort of your own home and most comfortable chair.

These WSET sessions are ideal for those wanting to increase their wine knowledge or seek a job in the wine world. Go to WSETglobal.com and search “online learning” for details.

Andy Perdue has been writing about wine for nearly 25 years, although he has slowed down following a debilitating stroke in 2016. He lives in the heart of Washington wine country with his wife, teen daughter and myriad pets.