On the morning of May 15th, Lynn and I met up with Marty Clubb to visit L'Ecole No, 41's Fergusion Vineyard - named after the winery's founders, Baker and Jean Ferguson - located in the South Walla Walla Valley, west of Milton-Freewater. After a loop through the adjacent Seven Hills Vineyard, we drove up a gravel road to the upper levels of the Ferguson Vineyard, so far planted with 18 acres of vines, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, along with some Cab Franc and Malbec. When planted out, there will be about 42 acres of vines. The elevation is 1350 to 1500 feet, one of the highest points in the Valley, above the Missoula Floods level. This altitude also protects the vines from winter freezes.

In exploring the vineyard, we saw stunning vistas of the Valley, where we could see the original Seven Hills and Windrow vineyards. The terrain consists of basalt bedrock overlain with a thin layer of wind-blown glacial loess. The fractures in the rock form crevices for vine roots to grow deeper. At one point, we stopped at a section of the slope where basalt rock was cut away and then crushed for gravel to pave the vineyard roads. Here, Marty pointed out the importance of the lava flows that occurred around 15 million years ago. While the Missoula Floods of around 15,000 years ago play a major role in the geology of the area, so do the lava flows.

The ridge along the southern rim of the Walla Walla Valley AVA is emerging as an important development in the expanding vine acreage of the area. Cadaretta's Southwind Vineyard and Doubleback's McQueen Vineyard are also on this ridge to the west. The basalt substrate adds exceptional structure, graphite and iron minerality, and sturdy acidity to the wines, as evidenced by the 2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson Vineyard Red Wine that was reviewed in the June issue of the Review of Washington Wines.

For pictures of the Ferguson Vineyard, see the Review of Washington Wines Facebook page.

 

An Exceptional Sangiovese from College Cellars

I was going to put this wine in the July issue of the Review of Wines but recently learned that it is almost sold out. So I am including it here. Don't miss it!

2012 College Cellars of Walla Walla Sangiovese, Walla Walla Valley, Seven Hills Vineyard ($25)

Deep purplish colored, this Sangio offers rich aromas of blackberry, cherry and plum, black roses, mulberry, tobacco and incense. On the palate, the dark fruit flavors are generous and supple, yet focused, intermixed with licorice, baker's chocolate, breakfast roast and silty minerals. The back picks up notes of squeezed berries, mocha and roasted nuts, followed by a ripe moderate tannin finish that is enlivened by a dollop of tart cherry juice. As an easy drinking, yet serious, wine, this is a real bargain. 18.5/20 points.