Seven Apart Winery elegantly showcases its AVA with four special labels named for the specifics of its estate vineyard’s terroir
If the Napa Valley AVAs were illustrated as clubs, Atlas Peak would be the one full of all the “cool kids.” Literally, one of the region’s highest peaks at 2,663 feet provides a cooler climate that’s celebrated for the production of super premium Cabernet Sauvignon, and figuratively as the appellation is often likened to producing a wine in comparable style to the best from Bordeaux. Needless to say, it’s a holy grail.
Seven Apart Winery is one of the newcomers to the area, founded in 2018 by Don Dady, who scooped up the Stags Ridge Vineyard about 1,475 feet off the valley floor. A self-proclaimed lover of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Dady recognized the vineyard’s ideal location, particularly four distinct elements that are now collectively responsible for Seven Apart’s limited production — averaging a yearly production of 1,900 cases — Cabernet Sauvignon.
The unique elements of Stags Ridge include the terroir, where dense and rocky soil translates to complex yet elegant wine in the glass; elevation, as the vineyard sits above the fog line, which permits morning sun for slow and steady ripening; topography, as the vineyard faces the Pritchard Gap to receive an afternoon breeze off the San Francisco Bay; and the vineyard layout, as all these climatic influences work together to produce a grape that’s lower in sugar and acidity.
These grapes comprise the four bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Seven Apart portfolio: Summit, Basalt, Shale, and Expedition. The Seven Apart Summit is their highest and most exclusive expression sourced from the best barrels from the mountaintop Stags Ridge Vineyard. The Seven Apart Basalt recognizes the geological makeup of the mountain terroir, denoting a bolder and richer Cabernet Sauvignon. The Seven Apart Shale expresses the rock formation after which it is named, with soft, fine-grained layers of fruit and a simultaneous bold structure. The Seven Apart Expedition represents three fourths of their 1900 case production. Their Stags Ridge Vineyard grapes are blended with grapes grown at their Base Camp Vineyard — the winery said, “After all, you have to work your way up to the Summit.”
The winery lives on the Silverado Trail, across from Soda Canyon, precisely seven miles down the road from their estate vineyard at Stags Ridge. The sleek hospitality center offers four outdoor private tasting venues woven around the minimalist edifice, accented by a steel pivot door that welcomes a limited number of visitors weekly.
Last year, Seven Apart welcomed their new winemaker, Morgan Maureze, a student of their former winemaker, Andy Erickson. Born and trained in France — Maureze worked at such estates as Château Petrus, Château Haut-Brion, and Domaine De La Romanée Conti before joining and assisting Erickson at Arietta Wines, Dancing Hares Vineyards, and Screaming Eagle — Maureze brings with him a relaxed approach, especially when it comes to aging. He “avoids excessive tinkering and sampling” once the wine is in the barrel. He said, “It’s aging for 18 to 24 months. If the wine was crafted correctly from the start, it shouldn’t need much adjustment. Much like people, wine sometimes needs time to develop.”
Seven Apart Winery’s forthcoming release of Summit is slated for November 2024; with only four barrels produced, it’s once again reserved for allocation only.
