Fall 2003

Notes From the Winemaker

The Harvest. Harvest commenced the first week in September and came on strong. As I write this, we have 200 tons in the door. Our expectations are for an excellent vintage. A mild, cool spring helped the vines recover from slight winter injury. With vine emphasis on healing, combined with an abundantly warm summer, we are seeing smaller berry size and cluster weights, thus low yields. This should result in greater concentration of fruit and color extraction. The 2003 vintage looks very much like 1994, which by the severe depletion in my own cellar, puts it among my favorite vintages from the 1990's.

Valley News. Fifty wineries are expected to harvest fruit this year in the Walla Walla Valley along with the new Center for Enology and Viticulture located at Walla Walla Community College. This innovative $3.5 million dollar teaching and training facility features a fully functional 1,200 case winery. A ten acre teaching vineyard is also being planted. The inaugural festivities are scheduled for October 17 and include a formal dedication at 2:30 p.m. followed by a celebration dinner and auction at 6:00 p.m. at the Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center. To make your reservation, call Linda Hardy at 509.527.4275.

School News. During your next visit to the winery, you will see our newly constructed concrete tilt barrel storage facility with a "mini" schoolhouse for our lab and production offices. We've also added a pond with a waterfall that will serve as an irrigation source for a new vineyard to be planted next spring located between L'Ecole Nº 41 and Woodward Canyon Winery.

Our 2002 production expanded to include a new bottling of Columbia Valley Syrah which will be released spring 2003. We are pleased to welcome Brooke Follett, our new Tasting Room Manager.

Martin and Megan Clubb, and the staff of L'Ecole Nº 41