L'ecole No. 41

L'Ecole No. 41

Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

100% Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark ruby/black color. Aromas of ripe black fruit, lavender, graphite and lots of smoky oak. Flavors of black berry/plum/currant fruit, coffee, dark chocolate, minerals and a bit of menthol. Long and oak driven finish with chewy tannins and well balanced acidity. Bold and full bodied. Thanks for the taste, Chris B! — a month ago

Tom, Paul and 5 others liked this

L'Ecole No. 41

Estate Grown Luminesce Seven Hills Vineyard Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2024

Apple, lemon curd, mango, dried apricot and honeydew melon. Great acidity and minerality. — 6 months ago

Paul liked this

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

Somm David T
9.4

I haven’t had a Bordeaux in a while. Especially, with a Ribcap. So, why not an 82? The vintage Robert Parker made his career as the only critic who called it correctly.

Very good 80’s Bordeaux were my first true wine love. Their style & 12-13% ABV will always be my cherished infatuation. Wished it had never changed.

Bought this Calon Segur on the secondary market several yrs ago. Tricky cork. Used my Durand. All good. Fill line perfect, no bottle neck tannin burn but plenty of velvety sediment.

If any of you ever wondered why there is a heart on the label. Here is the interesting reason…

It symbolizes the estate's deep-rooted history and the affection of its former owner, the Marquis de Ségur. Despite owning prestigious estates like Château Lafite and Château Latour, he famously declared, "I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon." His sentiment is immortalized by the heart emblem on the label.

Opened it and let it breathe from the bottle for 45 minutes. Tasted it and decanting it in stages. Then, stopped 1/2 way through and poured the bottom half of the bottle from the bottle.

82 is such a grand, classic vintage. For the most part, I drink Calon Segur’s too early, even at 20 yrs of age. I don’t want to say it is a long in tooth as its neighbor, Montrose, but it is close. This 82 is drinking perfectly w/ 41 yrs in bottle and will hold another 5 yrs. Such soft, perfectly darkish spices with elegantly ripe fruits.

This 82 glides over the palate. There is only beautiful elegance, nothing bites back. The fruits are older (not old or past their prime), ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums but lean plum vs black, dark cherries, crazy, outstanding, hoovering raspberries with notes of blueberries & shades of freshly picked rhubarb. Some black cherry cola, anise to understated black licorice, dark chocolate pudding, caramel, layered, gentle baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, touch of sun tea, old leather, dryish to fresh tobacco w/ash, charcoal, elegant graphite, dry limestone powder, dry river pebbles, black, rich earth w/ dry leaves, magical, dark spices, grey volcanics, dry stems, just a hint of dry herbs, dry top soil, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, red roses, grand acidity with perfect; balance, tension, structure and a grand, gentle finish that goes on & on and eventually lands on an amazing soft buffet of earthiness.

This is a wine that is technically a 94, but w/ evolution & style a 97. Amazing bottle that you don’t want to end.

$500 a bottle today through the app. Somewhere around $10 upon release.
— 6 months ago

Somm, Jay and 22 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Jay Kline Grand love for 82 & the Left Bank. Cheers! 🍷
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Peter van den Besselaar Thank you. Happy to bring it. Cheers! 🍷

L'Ecole No. 41

Ferguson Commemorative Reserve Red Blend 2013

Smooth and sophisticated, this wine has excellent balance of fruits and acidity, with a hint of spice and pepper. The oak is sparingly applied so the flavors really pop. — 5 years ago

Jonathan and Severn liked this
Jonathan Wall

Jonathan Wall Influencer Badge

Hi Paul. Haven’t seen you on here much lately. Hope you are drinking well!?
Paul Weil

Paul Weil Influencer Badge

Hi Jonathan, I was laid low by long COVID (PACS) for a couple of years. My mental faculties are only now fully returning. I am back! 😼
Jonathan Wall

Jonathan Wall Influencer Badge

Paul, Really sorry to hear that and glad you pulled through! Wine can be a nice recovery enjoyment. Hopefully your sense of smell and taste has come back. I had a fortunate quick fight with COVID but my sense of smell took a hit for a while… elegant and subtle wines don’t do it for me anymore… hahaha. Glad to have you back!

L'Ecole No. 41

Frenchtown Red Blend 2017

Great smell. Berries, not too sweet. — 6 years ago

L Sprouse
with L

L'Ecole No. 41

Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Delicious with Pat’s steak and potatoes. Dark fruit, spicy and rich. — 13 days ago

L'Ecole No. 41

Columbia Valley Merlot 2022

Cherry, raspberry, vanilla, currant, blackberry and oak. Medium-bodied and moderate tannins. — 4 months ago

Paul liked this

L'Ecole No. 41

Columbia Valley Syrah 2022

I thought this was light and refreshing. — 6 months ago

Jennifer Henry GregorioDaniel Gregorio
with Jennifer and Daniel
Bobbi Jo liked this

L'Ecole No. 41

Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Syrah 2005

It’s feeling its age at 20yr, but still holding. Time to drink. Red licorice. Roasted meat. stewed green figs. — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister and Shay liked this

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1985

No problems noted despite the age. Very good, but not outstanding. The nose was great at about 30 minutes-1 hour in the glass. The nose seemed to fade over the evening, but still very nice. Acidity is notable. Earthy flavors, tobacco, dried fruit. Great experience trying a 41 year old vintage! — 2 years ago

L'Ecole No. 41

Perigee Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014

A really good red blend. Rich, fruity Cabernet forward wine with a great finish. — 5 years ago

L'Ecole No. 41

Columbia Valley Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2016

Pale yellow white, excellent clarity. Floral and vanilla aromas, with hints of wet wool and sun-dried linen. Good acid, lemon, peach and apple flavors, slightly bitter finish. Varietally on point, bone dry but fruity to my reckoning — 6 years ago

Hermes, Daniel P. and 3 others liked this

Sanglier Cellars

Rouge du Tusque Syrah Blend 2015

At home tonight enjoying this wine with a pork stew. The wine showed very well tonight and looking forward to future bottles. 41% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre, 19% Syrah & 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. No sign that this vintage has peaked. — 6 years ago

L'Ecole No. 41

Apogee Pepper Bridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2016

Oak still not integrated. Good grapes though. — a month ago

Sarah Bignami
with Sarah
Doug and Ceccherini liked this

L'Ecole No. 41

Yakima Valley Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2022

Medium straw gold color. Aromas of orchard fruit, citrus, lanolin and white flowers. Flavors of unripe green apples and pears, lemon and minerals. Touch of saline on the long finish. Vibrant elevated acidity. Medium bodied and creamy texture. Somewhat out of balance because the acidity is so pronounced. A bit closed and shy. Not the best vintage of this Washington State unique expression of the varietal. It did improve on the second day. — 4 months ago

Tom, Paul and 2 others liked this

Francesco Rinaldi e Figli

Barolo Nebbiolo 1970

Rounding out the flight of legendary Barolo estates, Francesco Rinaldi certainly takes its rightful place in the pantheon of Piemonte’s history. By 1970, the estate had been under the leadership of Luciano Rinaldi for nearly three decades. I can’t verify but I believe Luciano was sourcing fruit from Cannubi, Sarmassa and Vignane in Barolo; Codana in Castiglione Falletto; and Rocche dell'Annunziata and Boiolo in La Morra.

This particular bottle was poured into a decanter and allowed to breath for five hours. It was subsequently returned to its bottle a couple hours prior to service and enjoyed alongside the ‘41 Conterno and the ‘61 Cappellano. The 1970 Classico pours a ruddy garnet color with a translucent core and a slightly orange rim; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and dried Morello cherry, shiso, alpine herbs, cola nut, dried roses, truffle, and dried gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. Stunning stuff. As expected, this bottle came across noticeably more youthful than the two elder statesmen poured alongside. An outstanding pairing with the agnolotti del plin. If this bottle is representative, there is still quite a bit of life left in this. Drink now with patience and through 2040+.
— 7 months ago

Scott@Mister, Pooneet and 10 others liked this

Lavendette

Alpes de Haute Provence Grenache Rosé Blend 2019

2019 | Red Blend
(60% Grenache, 25% Syrah & 15% Cinsault)
Lavendette; Rosé
Provence; Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
(91-93; Drink 2023-26)

Wow, this continues to be one of my favorite Provence rosés, ripe strawberry, cold peach, watermelon rind, damp limestone, white pepper; with +3Y of age we're at peak enjoyment.

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading Julia ADOLPHE (Makeshift Castle), STRAUSS songs with orchestra (Muttertändelei, Opus 43, No. 2 / Wiegenlied, Opus 41, No. 1 / Waldseligkeit, Opus 49. No. 1 / Ruhe, meine Seele, Opus 27, No. 1 / Zueignung, Opus 10, No. 1 / Morgen, Opus 27, No. 4) all voiced by our favorite soprano Renée Fleming, and closing with STRAVINSKY (Petrushka, 1947 version).

*Unfortunately, cellist Yo-Yo Ma has had to withdraw from today's planned performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 due to testing positive for COVID-19.
— 3 years ago

Douglas, Lyle and 16 others liked this

L'Ecole No. 41

Washington Merlot 2015

Happy birthday T! — 5 years ago

Peter Michael Winery

'L'Esprit des Pavots' Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2016

fully opaque violet, magenta rim, prominent tears; plum, black cherry, dark chocolate, coffee, leather, and cedar; dense, concentrated, juicy dark fruit, good length; full bodied, medium acidity, gritty tannins, no heat despite 15.3% ABV; made from blend of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Petit Verdot sourced from two estate vineyards with 59% of fruit from Les Pavots vineyard in Knights Valley in Sonoma County and 41% of fruit from Au Paradis vineyard in Oakville, aged 18% in French oak; a very nice fruit forward, early drinking second wine; $110 — 6 years ago

Shay, Severn and 9 others liked this