L'Ecole Chenin Blanc Yakima Valley 2023
L'Ecole No. 41
L'Ecole's old-vine Yakima Valley Chenin Blanc captures light in a bottle—golden, radiant, and warm without ever losing its freshness. It's a stunning value that proves Washington State can coax extraordinary texture and complexity from this noble Loire variety. A wine that glows from within, perfectly at home beside oak-aged spirits.
Nose
An inviting bouquet of honeydew melon and white peach, laced with subtle beeswax and a whisper of chamomile blossom. Underneath, a faint nuttiness emerges alongside bright green apple and a hint of lanolin.
Palate
The palate opens with juicy orchard fruit—ripe pear and crisp green apple—framed by a gentle honeyed richness that never cloys. A bright vein of citrus acidity keeps everything lifted, while a creamy mid-palate texture recalls toasted almonds and a touch of vanilla from brief oak contact.
Finish
Medium in length with lingering notes of quince, wet stone, and a final flicker of citrus zest that keeps the wine taut and refreshing.
- Varietal
- Chenin Blanc
- Blend
- 100% Chenin Blanc
- Vineyards
- Old vine Chenin Blanc from Yakima Valley, sourced from some of Washington's oldest plantings
- Alcohol
- 13.0%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
- Skin Contact
- No
Food Pairing
A simple herb-roasted chicken with thyme and rosemary, served alongside caramelized roasted pears and a shaved fennel salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette—the honeyed fruit of the wine mirrors the sweetness of the pears while its acidity cuts through the richness of the roasted skin.
From some of the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in Washington State, planted in the 1970s in Yakima Valley's sun-drenched but cool-nights terroir, L'Ecole No. 41 has quietly championed this underdog grape for decades—trapping Pacific Northwest sunshine in every golden sip.
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