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
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”