The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Carmenere, Malbec, and Petit Verdot aged in one-third new French oak. The nose reveals aromas of pain grille, scorched earth, and spicy black currants. This is followed by a medium-bodied wine with a forward core of ripe black fruits and soft tannins. This balanced Cabernet can be enjoyed now through 2020. I also tasted several outstanding 2005 barrel samples including a sensational Petit Verdot “McClellan Vineyard” which the winery claims will be bottled separately and not blended. As I have mentioned elsewhere in this report, there is immense potential for Petit Verdot in eastern Washington. Tel. (509) 529-7198; www.sevenhillswinery.com

A mix of fruit that survived the big freeze, from Dwelley, Morrison Lane and Minnick vineyards. It’s tight, tart and tannic, and showing some pickle barrel notes from time in new American oak. Herbal and compact, this is a wine that should probably be given another year or so in the bottle to smooth itself out.——P.G.(8/1/2007)—— 87