Winemaker Notes
This Merlot exhibits fresh fruit-forward aromas of red plum, dark cherry, and spiced berries accented by savory notes of sage leaf, licorice, and cedar. On the palate, it's full-bodied and juicy, offering flavors of black currant and cocoa powder that unfold with a touch of old-world intrigue. The finish is charming and inviting with well-balanced and lingering fine-grained tannins.
Blend: 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This fruit-forward red has aromas of cherries, chocolate orange, spiced plums and dried herbs. It’s full-bodied with lightly dusty tannins, but remains juicy. 80% merlot, 15% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 2% malbec.
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Vinous
The 2022 Merlot Columbia Valley wafts up with a dusty blend of dried violets, lavender, crushed stone and blackberries. It is soothingly round and supple, with cooling acidity and depths of ripe red and blue fruits that swirl across the senses with ease. The finish is long and balanced, with a framework of fine tannins and lingering spice, leaving a classically dry sensation. L’Ecole No. 41 did a fantastic job here as the 2022 communicates exceptional value.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.