I fondly recall visiting one of Walla Walla’s iconic wineries more than 20 years ago. What began all the way back in 1988, Seven Hills Walla Walla mainstay that makes consistently great Rose and well-balanced red wines. I’ve visited this winery many times and have always been impressed with the consistency of their lineup. They’ve had a sterling reputation for Rose wines over the years and I have also bee nreally impressed with their Sauvignon Blanc wines — one that also exudes value
This weekend I had the chance to meet up with winemaker Bobby Richards . A great dude to chat wine with, Bobby is a Pacific Northwest native, originally from Albany, Oregon. It was back in 2009 when he worked a harvest at Benton Lane that he fell in love with both his current wife and the wine industry. Richards worked a harvest at Tranche Cellars before joining Seven Hills as a harvest intern in 2013 and after working his way up — today serving as Winemaker.
I love the new 2023 Seven Hills ‘Columbia Valley’ Sauvignon Blanc (OB, 92) which is neatly textured and shows wonderful weight. Even better is the sensational 2021 Seven Hills ‘Pentad’ Red Wine (OB, 94) which is nicely structured and shows outstanding weight. Learn more about this historic winery at https://www.sevenhillswinery.com and here are my reviews of the new wines by Seven Hills.
2023 Seven Hills ‘Columbia Valley’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2023 Seven Hills ‘Columbia Valley’ Sauvignon Blanc has a touch of Muscat Canelli blended in. This has just a kiss of sweetness with kiwi and sweet cantaloupe and papaya flavors. This is a killer value. Drink 2024-1030- 92
2021 Seven Hills ‘Seven Hills Vineyard’ Merlot- The 2021 Seven Hills ‘Seven Hills Vineyard’ Merlot offers roasted figs and black currants on the nose with chocolate notes. The palate is soft and refined with silky tannins and a fleshy body. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2022 Seven Hills ‘ Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a range of sifted throughout the Walla Walla Valley. The palate is soft and refined with good structure and length. Rich black fruits mingle well with espresso ground flavors on the palate. Drink 2024-2036- 92
2021 Seven Hills ‘Pentad’ Red Wine- Made from all five grape varietals the 2021 Seven Hills ‘Pentad’ Red Wine is inky in the glass. Green herbs, black currants, anise and blackberry pie notes all combine on the nose. The palate is deep and rich with beautiful structure, weight and length. dense and chewy with refined tannins, this is already drinking beautifully now. Drink 2024-2040- 94