Winemaker Notes
Blend: 38% Cabernet Franc, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 12% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 12% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 40% new French oak, the 2012 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard has lifted notes of black raspberry, black cherry, violets, spring flowers and vanilla bean. This gives way to a full-bodied, thrillingly balanced and concentrated palate that has building tannin, a stacked mid-palate and a great finish. Short-term cellaring is advised here, and it will have two decades or more of longevity. Rating: 94+
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Wine Enthusiast
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon each take up 38% of this blend, with the rest equal parts Merlot and Petit Verdot. It captivates with aromas of black licorice, purple flowers, earth and herbs. The style is reserved, more focused on acid and tannin structure, but it still shows layers of textured fruit flavors. It will be best 2020–2030.
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Wine Spectator
Spicy, tangy and tingly, with crisp tannins around an open-weave core of blackberry, currant and floral flavors, gliding into the long, refined finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2017 through 2022.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.