2002 Andrew Will Seven Hills Vineyard Proprietary Red

Andrew Will Winery is on Vashon Island, a small island in the Puget Sound just west of Seattle, Washington. The winery was founded in 1989 by Chris Camarda, a restaurant industry veteran who named his winery after his son Will and nephew Andrew. Camarda sources his wines from vineyards in Eastern Washington, some of which he owns. Camarda focuses on blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc made in the style of Bordeaux. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Camarda “one of America’s finest producers of Merlot” and Andrew Will wines consistently earn high ratings from reviewers.

Walla Walla Valley AVA likes to call itself the Napa Valley of Washington, and given the concentration of well-reviewed wineries in the appellation, the comparison is understandable. The Walla Walla appellation is comprised of 340,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are vineyards. Walla Walla is located in the southeastern corner of Washington and it extends slightly into northeastern Oregon. It is named after the Walla Walla River Valley, and the city of Walla Walla is the commercial center of Washington’s wine industry. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post, but as early as the 1850s farmers were planting grapes for winemaking. Prohibition shuttered winemaking in the early 20th century, but a winemaking renaissance started in the 1970s when Leonetti Cellars, still one of the state’s most acclaimed wineries, started producing acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Walla Walla’s AVA status was awarded in 1984 and today there are more than 100 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese Chardonnay and Viognier.