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Seven Bridges Winery 2011 Elerding Cabernet Sauvignon
It takes a village
Some neighborhoods organize block parties. Others, softball teams. This one built a winery.
Kevin Ross was making wine in his garage – experimenting with different varietals and different winemaking techniques. At harvest and bottling time, friends and neighbors would drop by to help (and enjoy the fruits of their labor!)
A neighbor down the street, Bob Switzer, was intrigued by Kevin’s passion for wine and impressed by what he could do in his garage, and it wasn’t long before it was Bob’s passion as well. And in 2008, Seven Bridges was born.
As the business grew, the two founders asked another neighbor, Jim Straus, to join them in expanding the business. And before long, they needed someone to manage the tasting room and the sales operation, so neighbor Lisa Carroll jumped in with both feet.
With production growing to over 2400 cases this year, this little neighborhood partnership is really paying off! Who needs softball?
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Seven Bridges Winery, Portland, Oregon
2011 Elerding Cabernet Sauvignon
Seven Bridges is a classic example of what’s so exciting about the urban winery movement. Because they’re not tied to the land, they’re able to experiment, play around, and find the best grapes they can find to express their passions.
At Seven Bridges, the neighbors aren’t interested in producing yet another Pinot Noir – and haven’t. Instead, they set out to make their mark with big, bold spicy red Bordeaux-style wines that aren’t typically found in the Portland area.
Sourcing their Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Elerding Canyon vineyard in the Yakima Valley, this 2011 edition is smoky and earthy, with flavors of dark cherry, espresso, chocolate and leather under the aromas of blackberry and dark rose. Blended with 2% Petit Verdot from the same vineyard, just 226 cases were produced.
A Cellar 503 selection in February 2016, Wines to Warm Your Heart Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
