Seven Apart Basalt is the stronger counterpoint to the softer, more nuanced Shale bottling from the estate. Both wines capture the spirit of the terroir in different ways. The 2019 vintage—the first to be completely produced at the new winery—checks all the boxes for classic Napa Valley. This new vintage of Seven Apart Basalt showcases the deep, powerful, structured side of the vineyard.  The winemaking is decidedly light-handed, the goal being to allow the vineyard come forward. Grapes were hand-harvested, sorted, and allowed to soak cold on the skins for five to seven days before fermentation. A long, slow maceration helped to build mid-palate and weight, while maintaining the fresh aromas and flavors of the fruit.  Drained directly into French oak barrels, the wine was aged for twenty months and then bottled without fining or filtration.

On the nose, the wine is dark and brooding aromatically, with notes of incense, camphor, ripe black fruits, and dark chocolate. The palate is equally compelling, with ripe, rich fruit framed by muscular Atlas Peak tannins. Fresh raspberry, baked blueberry, and myriad black fruit flavors come forward along with baking spices and even some floral notes.  A brief decanting and time in the glass bring all of these layers to the fore. The young wine has a lot to offer, and will continue to gain polish and complexity over the years with more bottle age.