Club Members are provided exclusive access to our limited production wines, ensuring exclusive enjoyment of these exquisite offerings. In addition, members receive invitations to winery events and benefit from year-round savings on wine purchases. We take great pleasure in presenting the outstanding wines included in our November wine club shipment for your enjoyment.
The 2021 growing season commenced with a dry spring characterized by typical growing conditions. However, summer ushered in unprecedented heat, making it the hottest growing year ever recorded. This sweltering summer resulted in crop yields reduced to 25-50% of our initial spring estimates. Despite the challenges posed by the arid, hot, and low-yield season, the 2021 vintage yielded wines with remarkable density, flavor, and structure.
2021 Pentad $85 Retail
Walla Walla Valley
Pentad represents our highest achievement in winemaking, a wine of wholeness, balance and evolving complexity. Sourced from premier vineyards from the Walla Walla Valley AVA and crafted to showcase the excellence of the Walla Walla Valley fruit and the Alchemy of blending. We take 5 of 6 Bordeaux varietals to create a red blend that is our “La Grand Vin”, showcasing the knowledge we’ve gained from over 40 years of wine growing in Walla Walla.
Selecting from diverse terroirs within the Walla Walla Valley AVA, we use Cabernet Sauvignon from higher elevation – shallow soil on top of fractured basalt along with our 1980 Cabernet vines which provides structure. Our Merlot comes from the deep soils of the Blue Mountain foothills presenting lush fruit characters. Fan trained Malbec and Petit Verdot from McClellan estate offer complexity and depth, and Cabernet Franc offers earth aromas and bright red fruit flavors. The grapes are gently destemmed and crushed into stainless and oak tanks. Alcoholic fermentation last 8-14 days, then the wine is pressed from the skins and barreled. Each varietal is fermented individually and then 5 of the 6 are blending in the spring and aged for 22 months in 50% new French oak. Finally, the wine is lightly filtered using the gentle process of membrane filtration. Our Pentad is Vegan, with a minimal amount of SO2 added. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 9% Malbec, and 8% Cabernet Franc.
Deep ruby in color with pronounced aromas of blackberries, elderberry and plum with subtle aromas of cigar box, black peppercorn, dark chocolate, and anise. Robust body with a lush texture and depth of flavors are led by flavors of black raspberries and blackberries with intertwined notes of vanilla bean, dark chocolate, and baking spice. Firm tannins carry throughout the wine with supported acidity bringing great length to the mouthfeel. Ideal drinking is 3 – 15 years. Pair with richer dishes like roasted leg of lamb over roasted vegetables or walnut-lentil Bolognese.
2021 Ciel du Cheval $65 Retail
Red Mountain
Planted in 1975 on sandy loam and calcareous soils, Ciel du Cheval is rooted in the core of the esteemed Red Mountain AVA, Washington’s smallest and warmest AVA. This wine reflects the power, elegance and age ability inherent to the storied appellation, a site that offers refreshing contrast to the Walla Walla AVA. We are thrilled to introduce a distinctive wine that embodies the rich essence of the prestigious Ciel de Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain. This wine’s composition reveals a blend derived purely from this renowned vineyard, ensuring that every sip you take is a true representation of its iconic terroir. Our 2021 vintage is comprised of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot,16% Petit Verdot and 1% Cab Franc. This release wine has matured for 20 months in barrels made of French Oak, with half of them being brand new. This imparts a delicate balance of fresh woody undertones and well-integrated tannins that meld seamlessly with the wine’s natural character.
This Bordeaux-style blend has a dark garnet hue with cedar box aromas filled with ripe black cherries, raspberries, leather, with subtle hints of iron and fresh sage. Touting tremendous texture and a supple body with rustic and well-integrated tannins support a palate of ripe black cherry and raspberry, tobacco leaf with hints of dried herbs and black pepper. This wine will only improve over the next several years. Cellar up to 15 years. Pair with a grilled T-bone with grilled summer vegetables, braised short ribs or stuffed mushrooms.
2021 Merlot Founding Vineyard $55 Retail
Walla Walla Valley
The Walla Walla Valley has become an oasis for the classic Bordeaux varietal, offering a unique environment that reliably turns out the fruit that’s teeming with elegance, structure, and personality. The resulting wines not only demonstrate an intriguing element of discovery but solidify our beloved home turf as a premiere New World appellation for Merlot.
in the picturesque Walla Walla Valley, the oldest production vineyard is proudly owned by Seven Hills Winery’s Founding Vineyard. From this historic plot, 100% Merlot grapes are harvested and transformed into the Seven Hills Winery flagship Merlot, a wine that embodies the rich heritage of the region and the winery’s commitment to excellence. The production process is intricate and artisanal. The grapes undergo open-top fermentation, capturing the pure essence of the Merlot variety. Post fermentation, the wine is aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, with 45% of them being brand new, adding nuanced flavors that enchant the palate. Adhering to modern preferences and sustainability practices, the wine is only lightly filtered, ensuring the preservation of its natural flavors and character. It’s also noteworthy that this outstanding Merlot is vegan-friendly. Seven Hills Winery’s connection to these vineyard blocks is deep-rooted, having crafted wines from them since 1988. This flagship Merlot is not just a bottle of wine; it’s a sip of the valley’s history and the winery’s storied tradition.
Medium ruby color leads you to pronounced aromas of blackberries and black cap raspberries with underlaying notes of cedar, dark chocolate, and wet earth. A lush but firm mouthfeel with bright acidity, followed by flavors of dried black raspberries, marionberries with hints of cocoa dust, black pepper, and leather. This wine pairs will with many foods due to medium body and balanced acidity. Try it will beef bourguignon or New York strip steak. For a non-meat dish try roast acorn squash filled with wild rice. Or try it with 60% dark chocolate for dessert.
For more information or to reorder these wines:
Please contact us at INFO@SEVENHILLSWINERY.COM or 509-593-6226
Space is limited so book early! Join winemaker, Bobby Richards, on a guided rafting trip through Gorges of the Lower Salmon River.