Spring 2005

Dear Friends of the Winery,

Floods in California and drought in Washington State, El Nino is stirring up our weather patterns on the west coast. We were hoping for a larger mountain snow pack but are thankful for a mild winter with moderate temperatures that have given our vines a chance to recover from the hard winter of 2004. We are already beginning to see buds swell and vines weep! Washington State's Governor declared a drought emergency in mid-March, but despite some serious concerns for agriculture, the Washington wine industry should fair well. Wine grapes tend to produce the best quality wines under slightly stressful conditions and are one of the most efficient and lowest water users of any crop grown in the state. Virtually all of our vineyards are managed with sophisticated soil moisture monitoring and state-of-the-art drip irrigation, allowing us to use minimal water input to control vine vigor and to naturally limit yields through smaller berry size and cluster weights.

Celebrate with us at this year's Spring Open House May 7th and 8th as we showcase our new releases from 10 until 5 each day. Popular Chef Cristiana Fagioli will prepare the enclosed prix fix dinner on Friday, May 6th and Saturday, May 7th. All seats are currently reserved but do call Cindy at the winery to ask about a waiting list. We will begin taking reservations for our Christmas Barrel Tasting dinners on September 1st.

For many years we have dreamed of restoring the old schoolhouse bell tower that adorned the original building on its completion in 1915. We used a vintage photograph of the school and bell tower as the label on our recently released Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Perigee and Pepper Bridge Vineyard Apogee. The bell tower is currently under construction and should be finished just in time for our Spring Open House. Local artisans at All Saints of America Bells are creating a bronze replica of the original school cupola bell for display near our front entrance. Please come by and give it a ring!

The recent Merlot-bashing in "Sideways" has generated lots of media premonitions about the demise of Merlot, with faltering sales the inevitable Nostradamous outcome. I wouldn't bank on it. For reasons odd to describe, the wine industry has this cyclical "boom then gloom" demeanor (or gloom then boom depending on where you are in the cycle, i.e. Riesling). When L'Ecole N° 41 began producing Merlot in 1983 most consumers had never heard of it, then we experienced the Merlot mania of the 1990s when every wine magazine showcased Merlot on its cover. Now the spin is all about sexy Syrah! For a few special places in this world, including Washington State, Merlot will remain a kingpin wine. Did you know there is more Merlot grown in Bordeaux than any other varietal? Petrus, one of the most expensive and coveted wines of the Pomerol district in Bordeaux is 100% Merlot. (In early stage drafts Petrus was the coveted closet wine in "Sideways" instead of Cheval Blanc, which in my opinion would have been irony at its best.)

Merlot is still King at L'Ecole. We simply have the right growing conditions. Our lack of rainfall, intense sunshine and warm summers add up to an intensity of flavor in Merlot lacking in many other parts of the world. At a recent wine tasting in Las Vegas, amongst a group of highly trained wine sommeliers, I came home with a simple but glowing comment about our Merlots, "this is what Merlot is supposed to taste like!" The 2003 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Merlot shows its characteristic cedary, silky black cherry fruit, with cool mint and floral aromas and an elegant mix of blueberry, blackberry, cocoa and sweet tannins on a long lingering finish. It is a blend of 78% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. The 2003 Columbia Valley Merlot is rich and spicy with aromas of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon, balanced with flavors of ripe black plum and blackberry encased in a peppery black cherry finish. This blend is 82% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Carmenere.

The 2002 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. The principal vineyard is our Estate Seven Hills Vineyard but includes intriguing components from such vineyards as Va Piano, Pepper Bridge and Windrow. Its old world structure and dense dark fruit flavors show cassis, black cherry and cocoa, with earthy leather and savory herbal notes on a balanced toasty finish. Syrah continues its hot streak and we are proud to offer our 2003 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Syrah. With almost uncanny consistency, this wine was harvested ultra-ripe with jammy dark plum, dense blackberry, black currants and elegant meaty flavors. The 2004 "Walla Voila" Chenin Blanc is 100% from Willard Farms, planted in 1979. These old vines produce vibrantly fruity and lively Chenin with bright perfumed citrus and orange blossom aromas, with flavors of fresh pear and apple on a lemony, zesty floral finish.

Join us at the popular Vintage Walla Walla on June 4th. Walla Walla Valley wineries celebrate their art with a tasting featuring the Valley's newest releases and a rare selection of older vintages. This is an extraordinary opportunity to taste the wines of the present and visit some gems from the past that winemakers have pulled from their own winery libraries. For more information, visit www.wallawallawine.com.

A tremendous thank you to our 900 wine club members who have joined Vins de L'Ecole in the past three years. Members receive advance shipments of new releases to sample three times per year and receive discounts on purchases of wine and merchandise. Interested? You may enroll on our website www.lecole.com or call the winery.

Welcome aboard Jeff Briggs, who joined our production team during the 2004 harvest.

With some great new wines,
we hope to see you this Spring!

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