Friday Sips

Walla Walla-based Casey McLellan's Seven Hills wines are phenomenal for their price points and consistently receive numerous accolades. Long-established, the wines continue to provide immense delight and character yet like so many others, aren't necessarily the "trendy flavor of the moment". Something further to consider is that we are in the trenches everyday tasting a huge cross section of what is produced in Washington, for better or worse, and almost weekly we are offered some hollow-poorly made 40-50 dollar Washington red, from young vines that will never grow up to have as much character as what is done from this stalwart producer.

Made from fruit from Walla Walla, Wahluke Slope and Yakima Valley, what is most notable about the 2010 Columbia Valley Cab is its depth and marked forward flavors. Red plum, red currant and blackberry fruit spun with maple, spice, tobacco and a touch of toast coming from a thoughtful use of French oak build up as soon as its poured. Plenty of power without lacking the signature smoothness that Casey is noted for, there is abundant "silky grip" and a roundness on the palate which carry over nicely to a lingering, well-honed finish. Quite a steal for 24 bucks!

Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, located in the Red Mountain appellation and founded in 1975, is one of Washington's oldest sites and must be included at top of the list of Washington's grandest and most important vineyards. The 2010 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval is a blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 16% Petit Verdot and 13% Cabernet Franc.

Already very complex in its youth, this luxurious blend reveals prominent blueberry, raspberry and red earth. The use of oak here is intelligent with scents of tobacco and nutmeg soon to arrive. The texture possesses lots of movement and voluptuous qualities with a structured, solid middle, the maintaining a stacked, packed and long, substantial finish. Youthfully vibrant yet very ageworthy, expect a good 10-12+ years of drinking enjoyment.

Viognier is the noble grape of Condrieu and is cultivated elsewhere throughout France and the world. Not necessarily a household variety here in the Northwest, we are seeing more examples that are done with cleverness and guile that respect both the varietal and the land. Seven Hills latest version is a damn fine domestic Viognier.

Sexy orange and peach blossom scents waft from the glass and are nicely surrounded by cinnamon and anise. The texture is classic Viognier being rich and penetrating along with being accented by a kiss of oak; crisp acidity lingers throughout to bring everything into balance. Grill up some salmon or have some Thai food with several bottles of this winner from the home team!