Cotes de Ciel Ciel du Cheval Vineayrd Merlot 2012
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Though the alcohol is on the high side, this vineyard ripens the fruit well enough to sustain varietal character without the veil of heavy new oak. Here it's 50% neutral, 50% new, yielding rich strawberry andcherry flavors with a stiff, mineral streak.
In 1975, Red Mountain was a primitive place. A mixture of grasses, desert wildflowers, and sagebrush dominated the landscape. Most of the year it was brown and dry, with a few weeks of green in the spring. The land was bereft of anything that resembled topsoil. The wheat farmers from the nearby Horse Heaven Hills took one look at the place and turned away. It wasn't worth their effort. Sheepherders had tried to use it as grazing land. They quit. The land didn't bear the kind of fodder that could support a thriving sheep operation. Everything that had been tried had failed. The place was not suited for traditional agriculture.
It was a risk to plant wine grapes on Red Mountain, but there was some evidence that it might work. The soil was well-drained, something wine grapes prefer. The soil also had high calcium carbonate concentrations, a trait that is common in the great wine-growing regions of the world. Common sense held that if vineyards in Washington were going to be successful, they would have to grow white grape varieties from northern Europe. As a result of this thinking, Chardonnay and Riesling dominated the first plantings, with a smattering of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Sunrise over Red Mountain vineyards, WashingtonIt was a risk to plant wine grapes on Red Mountain, but there was some evidence that it might work. The soil was well-drained, something wine grapes prefer. The soil also had high calcium carbonate concentrations, a trait that is common in the great wine-growing regions of the world. Common sense held that if vineyards in Washington were going to be successful, they would have to grow white grape varieties from northern Europe. As a result of this thinking, Chardonnay and Riesling dominated the first plantings, with a smattering of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Over the years, the vineyards thrived. They learned that they grew remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cunoise, Viognier, and Roussanne. While the Riesling and Chardonnay were good, they no longer grow them, as they prefer to grow only those varieties that produce truly exceptional wines.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.