Description

Student Winemakers: Danielle, Emily W, Beth, and Skip had a creative idea of how to make this vibrant wine. The heart of Seven Hills is one of the first commercial vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The elevations are between 850 to 1,050 feet; the site has excellent soil, and the Columbia River's air drainage helps the small lots of Sangiovese grapes. Seven Hills produce one of the highest quality in the whole Valley. The students are proud of making a distinctive wine from this vineyard that is recognized for the high-intensity personality of the grapes and the perfect balance of tannins.

Wine Profile

Food Pairing Notes:

The light style and intense wine will pair perfectly with Italian dishes that include vegetables and tomato base to elevate even more the smooth texture of this wine. A few earthy notes that moderate intense flavors, such as blue cheeses, meat, and mushroom sauces. The natural acidity and bouquet of red fruits pair your desserts with the same velvety and healthy balance structure.

Production Notes:

The Sangiovese grapes were sorted on the shaker table. The students selected the best grapes that came to College Cellars from Red Mountain AVA (An hour away). The grapes were crushed and destemmed. This exceptional Sangiovese wine was fermented in two barrels (Neutral Gamba) - Puncheon 500L and 1 Barrel (Sequin Moreau) - Puncheon- filled to about 425 L of wine. In addition to that, they used the traditional amphora, which is historically used in Italy and Georgia, and it gives preserves the violets, perfume, and red and black plums flavors, which creates complex wines; full of fruitiness and primary aromas 95.552% Sangiovese 4.448% Merlot

Tasting Notes:

The natural acidity and bouquet of red fruits pair your desserts with the same velvety and healthy balance structure. The mouthfeel is rich and juicy with flavors of raspberry, cherries, and cranberry fruits with hints of spicy huckleberries. Fruit-forward fans will appreciate this wine's casual sophistication and elegant, velvety structure. The excellent favorable cooler growing conditions allowed for a tremendously harmonious, lighter style wine with richly layered flavors of jammy fruits. A small addition of Merlot grapes adds more texture, pleasant, refreshing, and tightly focused. It is the ideal wine for sipping! 95.552% Sangiovese 4.448% Merlot

Vintage Notes:

The grapes were harvested on 9/30/2019. The Sangiovese grape is a late-ripening variety. During the Summer, the temperatures were more relaxed, which helped to retain the notable acidity of this deep purple grape. By the time the grapes were picked (Early September), the frosts and freezes in early to mid-October were the primary concern.