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.
95 points, Eric Guido, Vinous (Mar 2023)
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.
94 points, Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate (Oct 2021)
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.
94 points, Jeb Dunnuck (May 2021)
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