Winemaker Notes
7Cellars was founded by restaurateur, philanthropist and noted football icon, John Elway. John was inspired to create world-class wines that would live up to his ideals, and be a proud representation of his family’s name. He partnered with iconic winemaker Rob Mondavi, Jr. to release the company’s first vintage of Reserve wines with a rich, supple Cabernet and a crisp, refreshing Chardonnay.
After five successful and sold out vintages of the Reserve, 7Cellars has expanded with a new collection, "The Farm Collection. "The “Farm” pays homage to John’s college Stanford (aka, The Farm), the place where many of his early friendships were formed, and fondest memories took place. This collection, featuring a Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir, is offered at a more approachable price point, but with the same superior quality for which the brand is known.
With every bottle of Elway’s wine purchased, a donation is made to our partners at Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that supports, trains, and deploys US Veterans in disaster relief missions around the world. Enjoy our world-class wines, knowing you are helping to make the world a better place
Named after the dramatic, seasonal river of rain and snowmelt that cuts through the upper elevations of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the Arroyo Seco AVA extends east from the resultant mountain gorge, and into the rural and warm Salinas Valley. During the growing season, cool and damp Pacific Ocean air penetrates the gorge and flows into the valley, creating a cool evening respite for vineyards after a hot summer day. This natural water-release has also created a subterranean aquifer, which helps set the foundation of the AVA's boundaries and supplies the vineyards with water.
Arroyo Seco was actually home to the first commercial vineyard in California, called Mission Ranch, which was owned and propogated by the Mirassou family in the 1960s.
Chardonnay is most widely grown here. But as one of Monterey’s warmer regions, Arroyo Seco enjoys the highest praise for its reds, namely Bordeaux blends.
Arroyo Seco is one of the oldest AVAs in California, its status granted in the early 1980s, and also remains one of its smallest.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.