MikeL's Guide to WA WineriesThe vineyards of the Walla Walla Valley Appellation are an important source of Seven Hills' wine grapes. There, deep silt-loam soils extend out into the valley floor from the encircling hills. These rich soils are farmed using a minimum of chemical intervention, and with closely controlled yields. Irrigation is managed carefully, allowing the grapes to ripen and concentrate flavors in their final days on the vine, producing a high degree of maturity.
This viticultural philosophy is costly, but, combined with the superb site and climatic conditions, consistently yields fruit of outstanding quality.
At Seven Hills, we use Merlot and Cabernet grapes to produce distinctive red wines. Deep in color and highly concentrated, our red wines are structured to age. Using a combination of French and American oaks, we keep the wines twenty months or more in barrel, then filter sparingly prior to bottling. The wines contain sufficient tannin to merit cellaring, but are balanced with enough fruit to assure enjoyment while still young. Drinking now will provide a complex and powerful tasting encounter, as you sift through the velvety tannin and abundant fruit, complimented by smoky, toasty oak notes.
Those with the patience to lay down the wines will be rewarded in their effort by the joy that only a well-aged red wine can give: Beautifully rounded tannins, melded fruit and oak flavors, and refined bottle bouquet combine for an exquisite tasting experience. As the wines gain cellar age, a slight sediment may be thrown due to their minimal filtration. Our red wines emphasize the individual character and strengths of the grape, and thus we tend to blend only moderately between varieties.
In addition to our core red wine programs, from time to time Seven Hills produces special bottlings of select varietals. In the past, these have included Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurtztraminer, and Riesling.
"My goal as winemaker for Seven Hills is the production of intensely structured, balanced wines made from the premium varietals found here in the Walla Walla Valley. I believe that the soils, climate, and grapes in this appellation afford the opportunity to make wines ranked among the best in their class. Seven Hills employs a blend of New and Old World techniques--tradition and innovation--to attain the full potential of the grape. With our wines we aim to establish a singular quality, not necessarily echoing styles common to the Pacific Northwest."
The Wines: (Winter 1997)
They have many rave reviews for the wines, and detailed tasting and technical info; as they have their own official website www.sevenhills-winery.com, I'll leave the detailed tasting notes to them.
Reds:
- 1994 Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1994 Seven Hills Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1995 Columbia Valley Merlot (April 1997)
- 1994 Reserve Seven Hills Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (May 1997)
- 1995 Klipsun Vineyard Merlot (May 1997)
- 1994 Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, Seven Hills
- 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1995 White Riesling, Columbia Valley
- 1996 Pinot Gris (April 1997)
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