2012 Petit Verdot Ciel du Cheval, Red Mountain

93 points WIne Enthusiast, Editor's Choice.
By Paul Gregutt (12/31/2014)

Pure Petit Verdot from Red Mountain’s quintessential Bordeaux varietal vineyard—does it get any better? Big, deep and tannic, with lovely purity, this features ultraripe fig and plum fruit with a pleasing salinity. The finish is persistent and shows a streak of iron. Note the alcohol is pushing 16% however it is beautifully integrated.

91+ points, Vinous
By Stephen Tanzer (December 2014)

Saturated medium ruby. Enticing perfume of blackberry, violet, licorice pastille, bitter chocolate and mint. Dense, sappy and sweet, with outstanding retention of freshness and energy for such a high-alcohol wine thanks to penetrating acidity. The flavors of black fruits, violet and licorice show terrific depth. Finishes with big, chewy, building tannins and the ripe fruit to support them. Give this at least five more years in the cellar

Outstanding!
Great Northwest wine (8/27/2015)

Red Mountain pioneer Jim Holmes planted Petit Verdot just after Y2K, which makes it a relatively young block for Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, and his son, Richard, shows why this Bordeaux grape, traditionally a blender, can make an expressive and powerful wine on its own. The nose of black plum, black raspberry and cola includes dark tones of black licorice, vanilla extract and toast. There’s a mouth-filling combination of black cherry and Hostess Blackberry Pie flavors that stand up to the expected heft of tannins, and yet there’s balance with the fruit — even a sense of opulence.

2012 Production Team

A grower owned winery, Côtes de Ciel was founded in 2012 by the Holmes family of Ciel du Cheval Vineyards. At Côtes de Ciel, we believe that all wine starts its journey in the vineyard and moves through the winery. Throughout this process, many people make a significant contribution and impact on the wine. Below are a few of the key people that impacted the 2012 vintage.