L'Ecole No 41 Perigee Seven Hills Vineyard 2020

Perigee epitomizes this estate vineyard’s distinctive cedar and beautiful dark cherry, framed by a structured elegance. It explodes with pretty aromas of spiced cassis and boysenberry, along with tobacco leaf, pencil lead, and cola that are lifted by notes of spring flowers, sage, anise, and thyme. The finish is complex with silky tannins.

SEVEN HILLS VINEYARD
L’Ecole N° 41 is a partner in the 170 acre acclaimed Seven Hills Vineyard, which is planted in wind-blown loess of geologically young and mineral rich soils. One of the most renowned vineyards of Walla Walla, Seven Hills is Certified Sustainable and Salmon Safe and was recognized as one of the Ten Great Vineyards of the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine.

• An easy, mild growing season combined with low yields and a prolonged harvest resulted in wines with wonderful balance, color, and vibrant fruit.
• A normal but quick mid-April bud break was followed by warm spring weather. Freeze events in late 2019 lowered bud fertility, combined with rain and wind during June bloom, which resulted in unusually low yields.
• Heat accumulation tracked the long-term average with veraison on time in early August.
• Older CA/OR wildfire smoke briefly settled into the Columbia Basin the 2nd week of September. Fortunately, the impact on our grapes was negligible since most of the fruit was at a later stage of maturity, combined with the nature of it being older smoke. The diffused sunlight and cooler temperatures slowed ripening, extending harvest well into October.
• The long growing season combined with low yields resulted in wonderful balance, length, and aromatics in the whites, and concentrated flavor, color, texture, and structure in the reds.

• 40 years of meticulous vineyard management and winemaking experience are fundamental to the quality of our wines and reputation for excellence.
• Each lot was hand-harvested ripe and gently crushed into 1.5-ton open-topped stainless-steel fermenters.
• Gentle handling of the fruit through hand punch downs and gravity-assisted movements was utilized throughout the entire winemaking process.
• The wine was cleanly racked to small French oak barrels, 40% new, and barrel aged for 22 months.

L’Ecole N° 41 is a third-generation family-owned, artisan winery located in the historic Frenchtown School depicted on our label.  Founded in 1983, we were the third winery established in the Walla Walla Valley.  We have become one of the most prominent and visible Walla Walla Valley wineries with national and international distribution.

L’Ecole is one of the most honored wineries in Washington State and has garnered national and international accolades over the years for producing superior-quality wines.  We are proud to be recognized by Wine & Spirits Magazine as a Top 100 Winery of the Year seventeen times.  In 2014, Decanter awarded our 2011 Estate Ferguson the International Trophy for Best Bordeaux Blend in the World!  In 2016, the 2013 Ferguson won the International Trophy for Best New World Bordeaux Blend from the Six Nations Wine Challenge.