Cherry, red currants, and crushed basalt. Plush mouthfeel, sweet and supple tannins.
Fruit for this blend was hand harvested October 12th, 2022. The grapes were destemmed and crushed leaving ~20% whole berries. No pump was used in the transfer of the must. The must cold soaked for approximately 96 hours at about 12oC and native yeast began fermenting after about 72 hours. The primary fermentation was in small 1 ton bins. Extraction was achieved via hand punchdowns numerous times daily as well as a pump over with macro aeration until the desired level of extraction was achieved at which time it was pressed and racked to barrel. Free run, press fractions and new oak barrels were kept separate until final blending. The wine was gravity racked minimally in the cellar and was bottled unfined and unfiltered in May 2024.
Decanter – 93pts (Clive Pursehouse)
Justin Neufeld coaxes finesse from the powerful Ciel du Cheval site, one of the foundations of the Red Mountain AVA, with 100% clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine spends 19 months in 55% new French oak barrels. Aromas of red currants, ripe muddled strawberries and desert sage are framed with a mineral intensity of crushed basalt—plush on the mouth with more concentrated red fruits with plenty of savoury spice. There's ample structure and lift that balance things out nicely. This wine is a baby and should be aged for five to eight years before it really begins to show its potential.
Jeb Dunnuck – 92pts
Only nine barrels of the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Ciel Du Cheval were produces. From this famous site and aged 19 months in 55% new French oak, the rest neutral, it has a sweetness of cherry and cassis on the front of the medium-bodied palate that is bolstered in sweet, supple tannin. The aging window is 8-10 years, I suspect.
Ciel du Cheval
