SOMM JOURNAL REVIEW –
SEVEN APART EXPEDITION™
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
As seen in Somm Journal, December 2021
By Meridith May
Famed Winemaker Andy Erickson climbs to new heights with Seven Apart Expedition™.
Andy Erickson has some remarkable brands on his winemaking resume, among them Screaming Eagle, Stagin, and Dalla Valle, and he unquestionably understands the nature of Napa Cabernet. For his latest venture, he’s serving as winemaker for Seven Apart, whose Seven Apart Expedition expression is a small-production (60-barrel) odyssey, made with grapes blended from the winery’s Base Camp and Stags Ridge vineyards, it’s aged for 18 months in French oak. Stags Ridge sits on a volcanic plateau, yielding what the winery refers to as “extreme mountain-grown” Napa Cabemet at an elevation few vineyards reach.
Mike Wolf, an acclaimed vineyard manager, has joined the team at Seven Apart and wil manage all 18 of its estate sites: his first project will be to replant the recently acquired 5-acre Base Camp Vineyard and 3 adjoining acres. Wolf, who has a B.A. in history, has managed vineyards at Beckstoffer and Scarecrow, among others, and is respected by Napa Valley’s top winemakers.
Seven Apart’s allocated wines are showcased at its new tasting room, which opened in October: It’s limiting the number of guests to only ten per day due to the small scale of its production.
2019 SEVEN APART EXPEDITION
Big, bold, tarry notes take on a mellower toasted marshmallow and dark chocolate for a breathtaking adventure of flavor and texture. Black fruit melts across the mouth. Well-built from the inside-out, a core of minerality is surrounded by fig preserves, dried violets, and a blackberry intensity. Tannins are pronounced, with a savory slide of satin meatiness. This wine is certainly on another level.
Rating: 98 points