About L'Ecole No 41
L'Ecole No 41 takes its name from the historic 1915 schoolhouse that serves as its tasting room in Lowden — one of the most photographed buildings in Washington wine country. Founded in 1983 by Baker and Jean Ferguson, L'Ecole is one of Washington's original estate wineries and has maintained a position among the state's most consistent and critically acclaimed producers for over four decades.
The Walla Walla Valley estate has particular strength in Merlot and Semillon — varieties that thrive in the valley's warm, dry climate. The Ferguson Estate Vineyard, planted in the 1980s on elevated rocky ground above the valley floor, produces the winery's most ambitious wines.
Winemaker Riley Karr has continued the house style established by the Ferguson family: precise, food-friendly wines expressing Walla Walla terroir without excess extraction or oak. The Seven Hills Vineyard Merlot — from one of the valley's most celebrated and historic sites — is a benchmark for Washington Merlot.