2016 Sauvignon Blanc

Casey McClellan has now come full circle since his initial involvement in planting the earliest blocks of Seven Hills Vineyard in 1982 and 1983 (his family owned and farmed it until the property was split up in 1994). Since the late ‘90s, the old blocks at Seven Hills Vineyard have been owned by asset management companies. McClellan’s winery became part of the Napa-based Crimson Wine Group in January of 2016. Later that year, Crimson began negotiating to purchase those original blocks of Seven Hills. Historically, these old blocks, as well as the newer plantings up the hill at Seven Hills Vineyard East, have been entitled to use the Seven Hills Vineyard designation.

McClellan also owns 14 acres in The ~Rocks, mostly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, but he plans to put in some Grenache as he loves the strawberry component provided by this variety.

McClellan finds the 2014s more generous and fruity than the ‘13s, which he describes as edgier. The ‘15s, he told me, are more extravagant, opulent wines, but 2014 is more his kind of vintage. Still, “the 15s will sell really well,” he said, “as they’re more showy and extroverted.”