Winemaker Notes
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 9% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a deep, richer palate with currants, flowers, white chocolate and some almonds. It’s full-bodied with plush tannins and a chewy finish. Yet, it’s so attractive and pretty. A blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot, 11% cabernet franc, 9% petit verdot and 9% malbec. Needs more time. Try after 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Perigee Seven Hills Vineyard Estate is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 9% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec. The nose opens to an expressive fruit core, highlighting juicy dark red fruit and spiced blackberry essence. Aromas of cinnamon-spiced dark cherries, sweet plums and a dusty minerality sway out of the glass with elements of an exotic floral bouquet. Full-bodied, the wine shows layers and a delineated, fresh frame with succulent tannins, offering a balanced structure across the mid-palate. The mouthfeel shows finesse with a purity of fruit before lingering with persistence, vibrancy and a subtle red spice reflection over the elongated finish. This is delicious juice. Rating: 92+
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Wine Enthusiast
Cabernet Sauvignon makes up half of this wine, with the rest Merlot (21%), Cabernet Franc (11%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (9%). Brooding aromas of cherry, plum, mocha, graphite, cherry and herb lead to medium-bodied fruit flavors, backed by tart acidity and firm, grainy tannins. The structure is lovely. It needs some time to stretch its legs, with the tannins giving a bigger impression than they often do from this vineyard. Best after 2024. Cellar Selection.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.