2005 L'Ecole No. 41 "Perigee" Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley

92 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Perigee Seven Hills Vineyard is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 50% new oak. Dark ruby/purple-colored, it has an alluring perfume of violets, wood smoke, spice box, black currant and blackberry liqueur. Elegant and seamless on the palate, it has superb depth, concentration, and spicy, savory flavors. Give it 4-6 years and drink it from 2012 to 2025." (June 2008) 91 points and a "Cellar Selection" from Wine Enthusiast: "From the oldest vines in the Seven Hills vineyard, this is lush and thick in the mouth. A power-packed, evocative Bordeaux blend, it features tightly knit and layered black fruits, augmented with subtle barrel flavors, earth and herb. The balance is beautifully managed; firm acids balance out the still-chewy tannins, and hints of pepper and herb add just the right spicy highlights." (5/1/2008) 91 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Good deep red-ruby. Enticing nose offers redcurrant, cherry, cedar, loam, mocha and nutty oak. Quite suave and silky in the mouth, with appealing, perfumed flavors of berries and spices. Plenty of early sex appeal here. Finishes with substantial broad, dusty tannins and excellent subtle length. I've been tasting the L'Ecole wines annually for a long time, and I can't recall a classier set of releases from this producer than this year's." (Nov/Dec "08)