January 15, 2021

SEVEN HILLS “SHW Founding Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

(Walla Walla Valley, Washington) $50

Just about the best thing a wine can do is taste like it costs twice as much as it does. That’s the case with this beautiful cabernet from Seven Hills with its rich aromas/flavors of cigar box, blackberries, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, espresso, cinnamon and that wonderful “rocky” character often evident in Walla Walla wines. Plus: soft tannin, a sleek body, and a long finish. Seven Hills (a partnership of four pioneers in the region) planted some of the first cabernet in Walla Walla, now considered one of the top wine regions in Washington, and one of the next great U.S. regions for cabernet. And this wine comes from those 30+ year old vines. (14.9% abv)

94 points KM

Available at Seven Hills Winery

Among the names of famous Bordeaux wines, the words mouton, lafite, and cos all derive from old Gascon words for “sheep.”

Answer: False.

The now iconic terms are actually related to the archaic words for “hill.” Many of Bordeaux’s best vineyards are often on slight hillocks and/or on very well-drained soils of gravel and stone. As testament to this, their names: Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Lafite Rothschid, and Chateau Cos d’Estournel often pay tribute to this critical feature. While many of the vineyards of Bordeaux—and especially of the Médoc, including Margaux, Pauillac, St.-Julien, and St.-Estèphe—appear quite flat, there are gently rolling hills that create variations in topography, orientation to the sun, soil, and drainage patterns.

CAP

The crusty layer, up to two feet or deeper, of grape skins, pulp, stems, and seeds that rises and floats on top of the juice during a red wine’s fermentation. In parts of the northern… Continue reading

SEVEN HILLS “SHW Founding Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

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