2022 L’Ecole No. 41 Merlot, Columbia Valley, USA

The Moment

Some Merlots are about plushness.
Others are about poise.

The 2022 L’Ecole No. 41 Merlot lands in that beautiful middle space where Columbia Valley fruit feels generous, but the wine still carries shape, detail, and just enough savory edge to keep it grounded. L’Ecole describes red plum, dark cherry, and spiced berries with sage, licorice, and cedar, while the palate brings black currant and cocoa powder with a lingering, fine-grained finish.

This is Washington Merlot in a confident, classic register: ripe but not heavy, polished without losing energy. Wine Enthusiast leans into a different side of the wine, noting blueberries, lilacs, a grilled-meat note, Bing cherry, and white tea, with firm but not grippy tannins and mouthwatering acidity. That combination makes this bottle feel both easy to pour and serious enough for dinner.

What It Feels Like

Think early evening, a roast in the oven, good plates on the table, and a red that feels composed from the first sip.

What makes this bottle work is the balance between fruit and savory structure. You get plum, cherry, and currant, but also herbs, cedar, cocoa, and that slightly old-world edge that keeps Merlot from feeling too soft or too simple. L’Ecole calls the finish charming and inviting, with lingering fine-grained tannins, and that’s exactly the feeling here: polished, complete, and ready to go.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Red plum, dark cherry, spiced berries, sage leaf, licorice, cedar, and a floral lift that can read like lilac.

Palate
Black currant, cherry, cocoa powder, warm spice, and savory herbal notes with a subtle old-world feel.

Texture
Full-bodied and juicy, with balanced acidity and fine-grained tannins that give the wine shape without making it feel aggressive.

Finish
Lingering, polished, and quietly structured, with fruit, cocoa, spice, and cedar carrying through the close.

Why We Love This Bottle

A Washington Merlot With Real Composure
This is not a soft, anonymous Merlot. It has generosity, but also structure, savory detail, and enough tension to make it feel complete.

Fruit, Herbs, And Cedar In Balance
The profile moves nicely between ripe plum and cherry fruit and more serious notes like sage, licorice, cedar, cocoa, and tea. That makes it appealing to both Merlot drinkers and Cabernet drinkers looking for something a little more polished and supple.

Serious Enough For Dinner, Easy Enough For A Glass
There’s plenty of structure here, but the tannins stay refined and the wine remains inviting. That’s a big part of the charm.

Pair It With

• Roast chicken with herbs
• Steak or grilled lamb
• Mushroom pasta
• Burgers with aged cheddar
• Lentils or farro with roasted vegetables

These are my pairing recommendations based on the wine’s mix of ripe fruit, savory herbs, cedar, cocoa, and fine tannin. That profile tends to work especially well with roasted meats, earth-driven dishes, and weeknight dinners that want a red with a little more shape.

Technical Notes

Producer: L’Ecole No. 41
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington, USA
Grape: 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec
Aging: 18 months in small oak barrels
Alcohol: 14.5%

Body: Full
Structure: Fine-grained tannins · balanced acidity · polished finish
This structural summary is based on the winery’s tasting notes and technical sheet, along with Wine Enthusiast’s description of the wine’s acidity and tannin profile.

Flavor Profile
Red Plum · Dark Cherry · Black Currant · Sage · Cedar · Cocoa · Licorice · Spice

Drink Window
Now–2030
This is my drinking-window recommendation based on the wine’s structure, acidity, oak aging, and current polished-but-still-fresh profile.

2022 Beckham Estate ‘A.D. Beckham’ Amphora Syrah, USA

The Moment

Some Syrahs are built to impress with weight.
Others are built to hold your attention with texture.

The 2022 Beckham Estate “A.D. Beckham” Amphora Syrah is very much the second kind — a wine that feels alive, savory, and quietly distinctive from the first pour. The winery describes layers of blackberry, blueberry, and violets with dried herbs, olives, and “compelling texture,” and that phrase really captures the point of this bottle. It is not just about flavor. It is about shape, energy, and the way the wine moves.

This comes from Red Mountain fruit, but the winemaking takes it somewhere more lifted and textural than the broadest, heaviest version of Syrah. The wine was de-stemmed and fermented in hand-made amphora with no commercial yeast or SO2 additions during fermentation, then aged in amphora and a small French oak foudre before bottling un-fined and unfiltered. The A.D. Beckham label is specifically built around clay amphora aging, with the winery describing these wines as full of energy and texture and focused on pure representation of the grapes.

What It Feels Like

Think candlelight, grilled lamb, something smoky coming off the table, and a red that feels earthy in the best way — not heavy, not polished into sameness, just vivid and grounded.

What makes this wine stand out is the way amphora seems to push texture and savory detail to the front. You still get dark fruit and florals, but they are framed by dried herbs, olive, and that slightly raw, honest feel that makes a bottle seem more connected to place than process. It feels thoughtful, a little wild, and very much like a wine for people who want Syrah with character rather than sheer force. That reading is based on the winery’s tasting profile and production notes, along with the estate’s description of the A.D. Beckham line as clay-shaped wines focused on energy and texture.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Blackberry, blueberry, violets, dried herbs, and olive, with a lifted, earthy edge.

Palate
Dark berries, floral notes, savory herbs, and olive-driven Syrah character with a pure, clay-shaped feel. This tasting summary is based on the winery’s published notes and the style implied by its amphora program.

Texture
Textural, energetic, and compelling rather than plush or glossy, with a natural-feeling structure.

Finish
Savory, lifted, and lingering, with herbs, fruit, and floral notes hanging together on the close. This is an interpretive summary based on the winery’s notes.

Why We Love This Bottle

A Syrah That Feels Different On Purpose
This is not oak-first, fruit-first, or cellar-polished into predictability. The amphora program gives the wine a more tactile, energetic identity, and that makes it memorable.

Savory In The Right Way
Olive, dried herbs, violet, and dark fruit is a very compelling Syrah combination, especially for people who like reds with more than just richness.

For People Who Love Texture
The winery itself emphasizes texture as a defining trait of the A.D. Beckham wines, and this bottle sounds built around exactly that idea.

Pair It With

• Grilled lamb
• Sausages with herbs
• Mushroom dishes
• Charred eggplant
• Smoky lentils or beans

These are my pairing recommendations based on the wine’s dark fruit, violet, dried herb, olive, and savory textural profile. That combination usually shines with grilled meats, earthy vegetables, and dishes that can meet Syrah’s savory side without overpowering its lift.

Technical Notes

Producer: Beckham Estate Vineyard
Cuvée: A.D. Beckham Amphora Syrah
Region: Red Mountain, USA
Grape: Syrah and Viognier
Alcohol: 14.0–14.2%
Harvest: September 2022 / Harvest date listed as 09/15/2022
Winemaking: De-stemmed fruit, fermented in amphora with no added commercial yeast or SO2, then aged in amphora and a 100L French oak foudre; minimal SO2 at bottling; bottled un-fined and unfiltered.

Body: Medium-Full
Structure: Savory texture · lifted florals · earthy tension · persistent finish
This structural summary is my interpretation based on the winery’s tasting note and amphora-focused production description.

Flavor Profile
Blackberry · Blueberry · Violets · Dried Herbs · Olive

Drink Window
Now–2030
This is my recommendation based on the wine’s structure, native-yeast amphora élevage, minimal-intervention handling, and savory Syrah profile.