Seven Apart Expedition Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

Winemaker Andy Erickson is a busy man. His resumé reads like a 3 Michelin-star wine list: Screaming Eagle, Ovid, Mayacamas, Harlan, Favia, Dancing Hares Vineyard, Dalla Valle and Alpha Omega have all benefited from Andy’s genius. His latest boutique venture, Seven Apart, is a brand new luxury winery that ACME has known about for months. 

In business, you learn that to spot a successful venture, you need to identify seven unique characteristics. When Beau Vigne listed their Atlas Peak vineyard for sale in 2018, Don Dady, a successful entrepreneur from Santa Rosa, saw this list of seven and more: 

1. Their estate vineyards are positioned within an East-West facing valley that aids in trapping cool air that travels North from the mouth of the valley. 
2. The vineyards sit above the fog line, ensuring that the grapes bask in sunlight from sun-up to sun-down. 
3. Volcanic soils ensure that the vines struggle for nutrient sources and encourage deep root growth as well as aid in less vigorous but concentrated berries. 
4. The vineyards are planted in between Atlas Peak and Pritchard Hill where the fruit gets to benefit from some of the most coveted aspects without demanding the excessive prices often commanded by these prestigious locales.
5. The land was already permitted by the County for grape-growing, which meant that the Seven Apart team could make seismic changes to the vineyards and farming practices without limitations.
6. There was potential for building a hospitality center, which is a level of permit that is so rare today under Napa County’s tough agriculture protection laws that you have to be grandfathered into one during purchase.
7. Last but not at all least, a knock-out winemaker – Andy Erickson. 

It takes a great winemaker to coax greatness out of a vineyard, no matter the quality of the vines. Andy Erickson has proven his talents time and time again, and when Don initially called Andy about the job, he wasn’t sold until he walked the vines. His ability to identify great potential has been honed over two decades of winemaking experience, and he credits three mentors for his abilities and success. “I was extremely lucky early on in my career to work with John Kongsgaard when he was still at Newton Vineyard” says Andy. “John really showed me a way of viewing wine as it relates to farming, nature, and life. His non-interventionist approach is something I still strive for. David Abreu is someone I have worked with for many years, and his connection with the vineyards is inspiring. That, and his pursuit of balance and precision in grape growing. Also, Michel Rolland, whom I continue to work with after more than 18 years, has helped me to fine tune my palate, and the way I look at blending to achieve great texture in wines.” 

Before he signed on the dotted line, Andy insisted that the Seven Apart team commit to transitioning their estate vineyards to organic farming. Though undoubtedly a more exhaustive style of farming, organic practices ensure that, over time, the vineyards develop a natural resistance to adverse weather and insects without the need for artificial chemicals. In turn, they tend to produce better quality and more robust grapes that can withstand more adverse conditions. Higher quality grapes mean higher quality wine. Seems a no brainer, right? 

The Expedition bottling, which is Seven Apart’s flagship wine, is meant to highlight the quality of the vintage, with fruit from both of their estate vineyards - Stags Ridge and Base Camp. The result is a wine with a broad spectrum of flavors and textures that speaks with the voice of the growing season; the 2019 vintage is very much defined by high energy, fine focus, and generosity. The 2019 Expedition is bright, polished, and high-powered. The character of the wine is driven by dark, expressive Cabernet Sauvignon which makes up 91% of this blend, with 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot to bring complexity, spice, and nuance. After a controlled fermentation and long maceration on the skins, the wine was aged for eighteen months in French oak, 80% of which was new. This oak regimen helped to round the tannins and give the wine a velvety texture. Red cherry, raspberry, and fresh tobacco come to mind, with notes of cinnamon, vanilla, graphite, and California bay. On the palate there is a rush of red fruits, which continues to build in intensity as the wine is savored. The texture is incredibly fine-grained and silky, while the fruit at the wine’s core expands and lengthens on the finish.