L'Ecole No 41 Chardonnay 2023

This Chardonnay presents inviting fruit aromas of Pink Lady apple, starfruit, and peach complimented with citrus blossom. Balanced and bright in the mouth, it features expressive melon and lemon curd flavors underpinned with nutmeg and an enticing minerality, carrying the wine through to a flavorful, elegant finish.

VINEYARDS:
Evergreen, Schmitt, Coyote Canyon, Stillwater Creek, Eritage

• A cool spring followed by a warm and dry summer set the stage for a manageable growing season. Heat in August was followed by cooler September temperatures, which led to suppressed yields but resulted in high-quality, abundant fruit expression, and a vintage characterized by remarkable concentration and balance.
• Overall, there was a decrease in crop yields compared to a large harvest in 2022. Partly contributing to this decline were the effects of some winter freeze events.
• The cold winter followed by a cooler spring delayed bud break by two weeks, but a near-record warm May accelerated canopy growth and brought bloom to a normal schedule with relatively low disease pressure. A warm summer with low rainfall accelerated fruit development.
• A short heat spike in August reduced yields and led to some shriveling in certain varieties that were more advanced in development, such as Syrah.
• September cooled, providing excellent hang time and ideal conditions for later-maturing varieties and facilitating a well-paced harvest.
• Quality is outstanding due to low yields resulting in wines with exquisite balance in color, fruitfulness, acidity levels, and phenolic structure.
   

• Over 40 years of meticulous vineyard management and winemaking experience are the foundation of our quality and reputation for excellence.
• The grapes were harvested in the cool early morning hours and promptly delivered to the winery for immediate pressing. The juice was settled overnight and racked to French oak barrels, 25% new, for a slow, cool fermentation.
• The wine underwent 50% malolactic fermentation, with the aim of giving it a richer mouthfeel.
• During sur lie aging, the barrels were stirred bi-weekly to enhance the wine’s body and flavors.
• Before bottling, the wine underwent gentle fining and filtering.

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.