Years ago Joshua and Cheryl West both became fans of musicians who were a part of Elephant 6, a collective of musicians who started their own label regardless of the spoils of commercial success. In similar spirit, Elephant Seven, or E7 for short, is dedicated to “the craft of making great wine independent of commercial expectations and preconceptions,” proclaims Joshua West.
Since first writing about E7 over a year ago when Washington Tasting Room magazine reviewed their inaugural releases (all outstanding, by the way), the 2016 releases are already showing beautifully. It’s worth noting that prices haven’t increased despite the high demand for E7’s wines—they have skyrocketed from a 400-case production to 2,000 cases annually.
“We have been amazed by the growing interest in little Elephant Seven,” says Cheryl West humbly. She and Joshua continue to source grapes from River Rock and Yellow Bird, premium vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, each with their own distinct sense of place. “We are very fortunate that these growers have let us work with them. Working with some of the best fruit in the state of Washington allows us, perhaps obligates us, to intervene as little as possible,” she adds. “All the wine we produce is unfiltered, unfined, and with feral fermentations.”
The Wests opened a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, “fittingly a little off the beaten path,” jokes Cheryl, who is a first generation Filipino American from Seattle. Cheryl says if you peer in the tasting room during regular hours you’ll see her and Joshua, and maybe even their kids, Matthias and Iver. Like the label designs, the tasting room reflects the West’s taste for minimalistic art, with gig posters of their favorite indie rock bands and a photo gallery wall of their family that includes Cheryl’s mother, Anita Villalobos.
As with everything E7 produces, visitors can expect beauty, whimsy, surprises, and incredibly expressive wines that evoke a distinct sense of place. Their 2016 Yellow Bird Vineyard Syrah earned our highest rating.
The tasting room is located at 134 W Poplar St, Walla Walla or look them up online at www.elephantsevenwine.com
Here are 2 releases we recently reviewed:
Elephant Seven 2016 Yellow Bird Vineyard Syrah, $37
Editor’s Choice – Extraordinary (95-100 pts.)
Co-fermented with Viognier (8%), there is a dense purity behind the silky blackberry, blueberry and cassis flavors, artfully framed with crushed pebble, violet, wild flowers, espresso and notes of tangerine peel. Ends with a long, licorice-filled finish.
Elephant Seven 2016 Yellow Bird Vineyard Grenache, $30
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
This sports a rich, lengthy core of steeped cherry, black raspberry and red plum flavors infused with floral lavender, cocoa powder and herbs. Light spice notes and bright acidity add lift to the juicy finish.