L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee, Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley 2020

Katie here. Wow, have we had another crazy week of rain and storms! When part of my roof ended up in my backyard, I knew it was time to wind down with a nice glass of wine. Fortunately, I had this one I could pull out.

L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee, Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley 2020

Mmm, get your nose in there. This smells lovely, like a warm blackberry cobbler, with some vanilla bean ice cream melting over it. Sweet summertime. This is a Bordeaux blend (specifically 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 12% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc), and while these grapes were grown in Washington instead of the Bordeaux region in France, this wine still has some earthiness to it, like a forest floor warmed by the sun. It tastes of blackberry brambles and dusty, dark ripe cherries, and in this warm forest in my mind where I'm walking and eating these fruits, my great-uncle must be with me, because there's some sweet tobacco in here as well.

This is a really fantastic Bordeaux blend from Washington--just one more example of Washington putting out some really stellar wines. If you haven't started exploring Washington wines, you really should. There are some truly incredible winemakers here!

This wine sells for $60 at Jacob Liquor.