2016 Seven Hills Winery Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Seven Hills was founded in 1988 in Walla Walla by Casey McClellan, a fourth-generation farmer. In 1982 he and his father planted the now prestigious Seven Hills Vineyards, then Casey went on to do graduate work in enology at UC Davis. Casey McClellan is the winemaker and his grapes come from Seven Hills estate vineyards and top vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, and the Red Mountain and Columbia Valley appellations. Seven Hills makes Cabernet Sauvignnon, Merlot, Carmenere, Malbec, Riesling, Pinot Gris and blends.

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.

The Merlot grape is such a deep blue that it is named for the blackbird. It’s an early ripening grape and one of the primary varietals used In Bordeaux. Merlot is also grown in the "International style," which is harvested later to bring out more tannins and body.