Seven Hills Merlot Walla Walla

Seven Hills Winery is one of the founding estates of the Walla Walla Valley, and their relationship with Merlot runs deeper than most. The winery's estate SHW Founding Vineyard encompasses some of the first significant plantings of Merlot in the region, and decades of experience with the variety shows in the consistency and confidence of the wine. The fruit is sourced from select hand-farmed and hand-harvested vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, including the estate and Les Collines Vineyard, and a small addition of Cabernet Franc is blended in to lift the floral notes and add an intriguing thread of tobacco and dried leaf. Walla Walla Merlot occupies a distinctive place in the American wine landscape. The valley's warm days, cool nights, and long autumn ripening season produce Merlot with genuine depth and structure without the heaviness that can weigh down warmer-climate examples. This is not a soft, easy-going Bordeaux imitation but something with its own identity: darker, more focused, and built to age. The wine opens with aromas of black cherry, ripe plum, raspberry, and blueberry alongside notes of mocha, cigar box, baking spice, and a whisper of dried herbs. On the palate it is medium to full-bodied with a round, balanced texture, silky tannins, and enough bright acidity to keep everything lively. Flavors of dark cherry and blackberry mingle with cocoa powder, subtle graphite, and a clean mineral thread through the finish. Pour it with a ribeye, roast lamb, braised short ribs, or a hearty pasta with meat ragu.