FAQ

Morgan Maurèze leads winemaking at Seven Apart and took the helm fully with the 2023 vintage. Our founding winemaker, Andy Erickson, crafted the 2018 through 2022 vintages. Morgan spent 15 years as Erickson's right-hand man, and the two made the 2022 vintage side by side. Before Napa, Morgan trained at Château Pétrus in Pomerol and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy.

All four are Cabernet Sauvignon grown on our estate. What sets them apart is where the fruit grows, from the valley floor to the slopes of Atlas Peak.

Expedition is where the journey begins. It brings together fruit from both estate vineyards, Base Camp on the valley floor and Stags Ridge on Atlas Peak, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It is also the wine that opens membership in the Private Collective.

Shale comes from the sedimentary shale soils of Stags Ridge. It reveals the layered, fine-grained side of the mountain, with red fruit and silky tannins.

Basalt comes from volcanic basalt soils just yards away on the same hillside. It shows the power of the site, with darker fruit and firmer structure.

Summit is the pinnacle of our portfolio, a selection of the finest barrels from Stags Ridge. We make only four barrels, and it is offered to select members by invitation.

Shale, Basalt, and Summit are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that are vineyard and block designated from our Stags Ridge property.

Every Seven Apart wine rests in premium French oak. We work with several French cooperages, each having its own house style. Drawing from more than one gives Morgan a wider palette to work with in the blend.

After fermentation, the wine goes into barrel. There it goes through a second, gentler fermentation called malolactic, which rounds out the acidity and gives the wine a softer feel. Expedition stays in barrel for 18 months. Our three single-vineyard wines, Shale, Basalt, and Summit, get a little longer at 22 months.

The goal is always balance. Oak should add complexity and never mask what the mountain gives.

Seven miles separate our two estate vineyards, and that distance tells you everything. Stags Ridge rises to about 1,475 feet on Atlas Peak, in the Atlas Peak AVA. Base Camp lies on the valley floor at the foot of Atlas Peak, where the Silverado Trail meets Soda Canyon Road, at just 55 to 75 feet. Base Camp is also home to our winery and tasting room at 4057 Silverado Trail in Napa.

Stags Ridge sits at about 1,475 feet, above the fog line. The vines catch the morning sun while the valley floor below is often still under fog. Each afternoon, a breeze off San Francisco Bay sweeps through the Pritchard Gap and cools the vineyard just as the heat peaks. That breeze keeps sugar and acidity in balance.

The soil, or really the lack of it, is thin, rocky red volcanic clay, and there is little water to go around. The vines struggle, and they answer with small, thick-skinned berries rich in color and tannin. That struggle is the source of our structure and aging potential.

The vines were planted in 1999 and have never been replanted, a rare stretch of nearly untouched ground in some of Napa's most sought-after land. Basalt and shale soils share the same hillside just yards apart, which is why a single site can give us such distinct wines.

On many mornings, the valley floor sits under a cool marine layer while Stags Ridge is already in full sun. Days on the mountain run warm, and nights run much cooler. That wide swing helps the grapes hold on to their natural acidity.

Base Camp sits close enough to the bay to feel its maritime influence, which evens out temperatures. At elevation, frost is the greater risk, so we prune Stags Ridge weeks after the valley floor. That gap carries through the entire season, and we usually bring in two harvests, often many weeks apart.

Volcanic soils like the basalt on Atlas Peak drain quickly and hold few nutrients. The vines have to struggle, and they answer with smaller berries and thicker skins. The result is concentration and firm tannins, the backbone of a Cabernet built to age. Basalt's higher pH also helps soften those tannins, giving the wines structure without harshness.

Soil clearly governs drainage and berry size, and those shape everything you taste. Wines from our basalt blocks often show crushed-rock and graphite notes alongside dark fruit.

We host only two or three tastings per day, so we recommend booking in advance. All visits are by reservation, and we do not accept walk-ins. Please be aware that demand is at its highest from May to October. While we strive to accommodate same-day or short-notice requests, it's common during these months to be fully booked several weeks in advance.

We invite you to request a visit through our reservation form, or reach us at wine@sevenapart.com or (707) 699-2411.

That depends on the experience you choose. Napa at Its Peak™, our full estate experience, lasts about 90 minutes. It begins with an in-depth tour of the property and its story, followed by a seated tasting of our complete portfolio with a curated cheese selection.

Base Camp is a seated 60-minute tasting without the tour. We will still share the story of how Seven Apart began. Every tasting is private.

There is no application and no waiting period. Your first allocation unlocks Base Camp status in the Private Collective. Join by purchasing any of our bottles.

From there, you ascend at your own pace. Members rise to Ridge as their collection with us grows, and Peak is by invitation. You can see your tier and progress at any time in your member portal.

Anyone can join the Private Collective with a first allocation, and your membership begins immediately.

Our wines are made in very small quantities, so access to certain releases reflects your history with us. Shale, Basalt, and Summit are offered to members by invitation. Priority goes to members who claim their allocation with each release, and members who pass on a release may lose their place for the next.

Seven Apart is available exclusively through our allocation and at our estate, so you will not find it on retail shelves. We produce fewer than 2,000 cases a year. Selling direct keeps our wine with the collectors who follow us from one vintage to the next.

We never ship wine into extreme heat or cold. When temperatures are too high for wine to travel safely, we hold your order at the winery until conditions allow. We will reach out before anything ships, so you can plan to be there.

In California, wine ships by ground and usually arrives in two days. If you are farther away, we send it by air so it spends less time in transit. Arizona, Texas, and parts of Florida get extra care. Depending on the zip code, those orders can go through Arrive55, a refrigerated delivery service, so your wine never sits on a hot loading dock.

An adult 21 or older must sign for every delivery. If no one is home during the day, we recommend shipping to a business address.

Serve our Cabernet Sauvignon between 58 and 65°F, slightly cooler than room temperature. Younger bottles show best at the cooler end, while older vintages open up at the warmer end. We also recommend decanting a young Cabernet for about an hour, plus another hour for every 10 years of age.

Our Base Camp Sauvignon Blanc, poured at the estate, is best between 45 and 55°F.

Keep your bottles at about 55°F with humidity between 60 and 68%. A steady temperature matters most. Swings cause the cork to expand and contract, which lets oxygen in.

Store bottles on their sides so the cork stays moist, away from light and vibration. If you do not have a cellar, a dedicated wine refrigerator works well.

Our wines are built for the long journey. Expedition and Shale drink beautifully on release and can age 25 years or more. Basalt and Summit reward patience and show their best at 10 to 15 years or more.