Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval Bordeaux Blend 08
15% discount for
Avalon's Wine Club members
Ciel du Cheval is easily one of the top vineyards in the Pacific Northwest for Bordeaux varietals.
I need a new superlative. Awesome. The word that comes to mind is harmony - red and black fruits, dark and bright character, sweet fruit and mineral. The red raspberry top note and black currant bottom end makes this irresistible now; the fine tannins keep adding harmony and aging potential. - Marcus
2007 Vintage Tasting Notes
Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval Bordeaux Blend 07 $34.95 - Gushing with lush fruit, the dark raspberry, sweet black cherry, and cassis flavors play against a structured earthiness. Soos Creek continues to nail it, making killer reds with a ton of personality and class.
The 07 Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot.
2006 Vintage Tasting Notes
Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval Bordeaux Blend 06 - Explosively aromatic, with flavors to match. Huge cassis, blackberry and red cherry are backed up by classic Ciel du Cheval structure. Still, the wine is rich and rounded, with graphite nuances accenting the pure, long finish. -Avalon
More About Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
When wine experts consider Washington State's great vineyards, one name that consistently appears near the top of any list is Ciel du Cheval Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA. Famed for the elegance and complexity of the wines it produces, Ciel du Cheval and its owner Jim Holmes have become near-legendary exemplars of what Washington wine is all about.
The desirability of fruit from Ciel du Cheval can be seen in the names of the wineries that produce wine from the vineyard: Quilceda Creek, Andrew Will, Betz Family, DeLille, Fidelitas, Mark Ryan, McCrea Cellars, and Cadence - among others.
"It's great to have such a positive reputation," admits Jim Holmes. "But it's one of those things that feels temporary because there's always the next guy coming up around the corner somewhere!"
But what isn't temporary at Ciel du Cheval are the two ingredients of success that Holmes feels are critical. "Dirt and climate, climate and dirt," he says when asked how he accounts for his vineyard's success. More about Ciel du Cheval Vineyard...
Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
Winery Tasting Notes
2008 vintage - This is another of the great Washington State vineyards. This blend is from vines up to 26 years old and is comprised of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot. It reminds me of our 1995 Columbia Valley wine that was very balanced and drinkable on release but continues to age beautifully. It has distinctive flavors of raspberries, black currants and a stony minerality plus adequate tannin for long-term aging. - the winery
2007 - This is our favorite vintage from this vineyard since 1999. Deciding on the blend was difficult because they all tasted so good. But to best reflect the character of the vineyard and the vintage, we decided to make this wine in a Reserve style (73% Cab, 18% Cab Franc and 9% Merlot). It is dark, dense and decadent. You can enjoy it now but it may need some extra time to become more harmonious. It has distinctive flavors of raspberries, black currants and stony minerals plus gobs of tannin for its structure. You can look forward to drinking this wine over the next 15+ years. - the winery
This vineyard has always been excellent and ranks among the top red grape vineyards in the state. I may change my mind next year, but this in my favorite vintage from this vineyard since we started our winery in 1989. The blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc and 16% Merlot. It has the hallmark mineral flavors of this vineyard, complex fruit flavors, a firm structure and a nice balance for near-term drinking or long-term aging. - the winery
2005 Vintage Tasting Notes
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate says: "The 2005 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is made up of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. More structured (from Red Mountain) and mineral dominated, the wine has outstanding power and depth. The flavors are already showing a bit of complexity and the wine’s balance is exceptional. Give it 5-7 years in the cellar and drink it through 2030."
Soos Creek produces powerful Cabernet Sauvignons, a Merlot-Cabernet bland named "Sundance" and a Bordeaux blend that includes Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot called "Stampede Pass." The grapes are sourced from the Ciel du Cheval, Champoux, Charbonneu and Pepper Bridge vineyards. Established in 1989, this small family winery has developed a loyal following for their handcrafted wines.
