Winemaker Notes
This vineyard, planted in the terraced remnants of ice-age flood deposits, is one of the Walla WallaValley's most reputable vineyards. Apogee was the first wine produced from this vineyard and showsits characteristic spicy, bold and dark fruit flavors with a rich structure, well-integrated tannins and along finish.
A cool spring, followed by a cool fruit set in June set the stage for lower yields than normal in 2006.Light crops tend to get lighter, and an abundance of sunshine and heat units in July resulted in smallberry size and cluster weights. A mild August helped extend the late season ripening period intoSeptember and October. The overall season crop load was lower than normal, at 2 ½ tons per acre.Our traditional cool long harvest with no rainfall resulted in fabulous fruit quality, with bright cleanaromatics and acidity in the whites and vibrant extraction and rich color in the red wines.
Boldly aromatic, this wine has spicy aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg, earthy hints of sweet tobacco and leather, andsmoky dark fruit packed with chocolate, mint and cherry finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 Apogee Pepper Bridge Vineyard is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 8% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc. A saturated purple color, it has a brooding nose of sandalwood, pencil lead, spice box, and assorted black fruits. It is the most concentrated, complex, and intense of the L’Ecole reds with darker, layered fruit and greater aging potential. Drink this superb effort between 2015 and 2031.
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Wine & Spirits
Apogee, a blend of cabernet sauvignon (46 percent), merlot (42) malbec and cabernet franc, shows little at first – Pepper Bridge always takes its time. After a few minutes in the glass, a savory brown-bread spice and pipe tobacco scent emerges, along with a taut core of black fig. While youthfully reticent, this is a formidable wine, balanced, composed, poised, just waiting for its moment. Cellar a year and serve with roast lamb.
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Wine Spectator
Dark and distinctive, hanging its ripe plum, currant and cherry fruit on a rangy, wide-open frame that lets the flavors mingle with hints of olive and pepper as the finish rolls on easily. Drink now through 2014.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.