2018 Andrew Will 'Ciel du Cheval Vineyard' Proprietary Red Red Mountain
The 2018 Andrew Will 'Ciel du Cheval Vineyard' Proprietary Red reflects the legacy of Andrew Will Winery, one of Washington’s most respected producers. Founded in 1989 by Chris Camarda and now helmed by his son Will, the winery is renowned for terroir-driven, Bordeaux-style blends. Crafted from Red Mountain’s iconic Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, this wine offers vibrant flavors of redcurrant, black cherry, and crème de cassis, with aromas of cedar and sweet tobacco. Aged 22 months in French oak and earning 95 points from Vinous, it’s a true expression of elegance and age-worthiness.
Vinous
A rich and darkly alluring mix of plum sauce, grilled sage and hints of sweet smoke makes the 2018 Red Wine Ciel du Cheval a total pleasure on the nose. This is seamlessly silky, with potent red fruits complimented by a pleasant inner sweetness that's quickly firmed up by saturating minerality and fine tannins collecting toward the close. The 2018 finishes youthfully inward and structured, leaving nuances of blueberry preserve and a dusting of cocoa to linger. The 2018 is just a baby today, but with serious cellar potential packed in. Wow.
Jeb Dunnuck
An interesting mix of 57% Merlot and 43% Cabernet Franc, all from one of the top sites on Red Mountain, the 2018 Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard sports a deep ruby/purple hue along with lots of Bing cherry, mulberry, and blueberry fruits as well as notes of spring flowers, graphite, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with good acidity and ripe tannins, it's another wine from this estate that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and have two decades of prime drinking.
Wine Advocate
Composed of 57% Merlot and 43% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard displays a vibrant magenta core with a lively ruby edge. Aromas of pencil shavings, graphite, sweet tobacco and dried herbs sway from the glass with layers of dark red and black fruit tones. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is precise with fantastic mineral tension and elements of fresh redcurrant, black cherry skin and crème de cassis flavors, with buttressing tannins that lift the mid-palate with succulent acidity. The wine continues to evolve in the mouth, revealing layers of complexity and finesse as it comes to a close over the long, lingering finish. The wine rested for 22 months in French oak, 35% first fill. Only 5,772 bottles were filled. It's another gorgeous wine from Andrew Will.- AM