It's on the list(s) - L'Ecole No. 41 Semillon

10 Dec It’s on the list(s) – L’Ecole No. 41 Semillon

Posted at December 10, 2020 , 12:39 pm in All of Pat's Picks, Featured by Pat Hellberg

With the end of the year comes a parade of “best of” lists.

One of my favorites is Wine Enthusiast’s 100 best buys of the year because…

Wine Enthusiast doesn’t wait until December.

They launch their list in late September.

As a result, it doesn’t get lost in the end-of-year shuffle.

But the foremost reason for liking this list is in its title/focus.

“Best buys” is our holy grail.

It’s Wine Thursday!, our weekly good-wine-at-a-good-price-

that-you-can-find review, just in time for your weekend.

This week’s featured white has made Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 two years running.

You might be familiar with L’Ecole and its iconic old schoolhouse label.

(BTW, if you venture to Walla Walla, L’Ecole’s tasting room, which is situated

inside said iconic old schoolhouse, is a must stop.)

However, you might not be familiar with semillon.

It’s a significant grape in France, especially Bordeaux,

but in the U.S., semillon is obscure.

Too bad. Semillon can be a very good white wine. And a terrific bargain.

L’Ecole’s 2018 semillon is lot of wine for 15 bucks.

Tangy and vibrant, it shows layer upon layer

of interesting citrus and fruit flavors.

It’s dry, medium-bodied and would pair well with light dishes.

Sushi comes to mind.

We found L’Ecole 2018 semillon at QFC and Fred Meyer for $14.99.

Market of Choice carries it for $15.99.

You can order it online from two Seattle-area retailers.

Mad Wine has it for $14.99

and Champion Wine Cellars sells it for $17.50

The winery is offering the 2019 semillon for $15.