"My goal as winemaker for Seven Hills Winery is to make intensely structured, balanced wines expressing the distinct terroir of their vineyard origin. I believe the soil, climate and grapes in the northwest appellations afford the opportunity to make wines ranked among the best in their class. I have been fortunate in my many years as Seven Hills winemaker to have developed fruit sources where I harvest from the same rows-the same vines each year. This is a precious resource for us, knowing the vines and working closely with our growers, we can craft wines attaining the full potential of the grape.”
Seven Hills Winery is located in the heart of Walla Walla, Washington. Though it has built its reputation quietly, Seven Hills is one of the region’s oldest and most respected wineries. Founder Casey McClellan has played an important role in both the viticultural and winemaking history of the community. As a fourth-generation farmer, Casey worked alongside his father in the early 1980s, planting Walla Walla Valley’s Seven Hills Vineyard—a site that has gained recognition as one of the Northwest’s grand cru properties. As a winemaker, Casey has guided Seven Hills Winery, creating wines that have emerged as benchmarks for excellence in the Northwest.
When Casey and Vicky McClellan founded Seven Hills Winery in 1988, Washington’s Walla Walla Valley was an area of rich, untapped viticultural promise. In those early days, the McClellans were part of a small, visionary group of vintners who believed in the vast potential of Washington State winemaking. As forerunners of today’s thriving Walla Walla Valley winemaking community, the McClellans and Seven Hills Winery have championed the Northwest’s most renowned appellations and vineyards, while helping to establish the region’s growing status as a home for world-class wines.
Over the course of two decades, Seven Hills Winery has been part of many firsts for the Walla Walla Valley appellation (AVA). Recognized for its Bordeaux-varietal red wines, Seven Hills has bottled more vineyard-designate Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots from the AVA than any other winery. At the same time, Seven Hills Winery has helped pioneer the rich diversity of the region, and its potential for producing an array of stellar red and white wines. In this spirit, Seven Hills Winery bottled the Walla Walla Valley’s first varietally labeled Malbec, and planted its first Tempranillo.
In addition to playing an influential role in defining the character of Walla Walla Valley winemaking, Seven Hills Winery has also explored the promise of many of the Northwest’s other great appellations. To achieve this, Seven Hills Winery has built long-term relationships with some of the finest grape growers in five of Washington’s nine winegrowing appellations. In fact, Seven Hills Winery began working with fruit from esteemed appellations such as Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope years before they earned official AVA status. Just as important, Seven Hills Winery has consistently worked with the best vineyards in the Northwest—properties such as Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval—sourcing fruit from the same coveted old vine blocks and rows for years.
Using grapes from these storied vineyard sources, Seven Hills Winery has developed an acclaimed style notable for balancing structure and grace. Reflecting unique terroirs and highlighting restrained oak, bright acidity and pure varietal flavors, these wines are recognized as some of the finest wines coming out of the Northwest. At the same time, they have earned a reputation for delivering an exceptional level of quality at a remarkable price—making them some of the great values of the North American wine world.
Casey McClellan cultivated his interest in wines while planting the first block of Seven Hills Vineyard in the early 1980's. He went on to earn a Master's degree from the University of California at Davis specializing in the study of wine yeast performance. In 1988, Casey returned to the Walla Walla Valley to join the vineyard's founding partners in establishing Seven Hills Winery.
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Winemaker
