2018 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
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Tasting notes
A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard begins with a sturdy, steadfast nose with elements of dark, dusty red fruit, red plum skin, black cherry, currant and cassis before a firm mineral essence sways from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, the wine expresses a balanced core of fruit, mineral tension and oak essence, with notions of plum blossom, vanilla and dusty cardamom across the mid-palate. Structured tannins lift the middle before concluding with a delightfully long-lingering finish. Only 2,124 bottles were filled after the wine rested for 20 months in 50% new French oak. Give it a try; it’s delicious.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Ciel Du Cheval Red Wine Red Mountain comes from a great vineyard on Red Mountain and checks in as 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Brought up in 50% new French oak, it has classic Red Mountain minerality as well as medium to full-bodied richness, ripe yet firm tannins, good mid-palate depth, and classy notes of crème de cassis, graphite, and leafy herbs. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following decade or more.
Bright red-ruby. Cool, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated aromas of blueberry, cocoa powder, tobacco leaf, mint and herbs. Denser than the Merlot, with a strong herbal/minty/peppery quality running through the wine to the brisk, slightly austere back end. Not hugely ripe but has the structure and energy to soften and evolve. This juicy, claret-style wine shows distinct peppery herbacity but also the intensity and depth of flavor that comes from relatively mature vines. As much red as black on the finish, with firm, dusty tannins calling for at least a couple years of cellaring. This, too, is very young.