A phenomenal achievement in a winemaking career that remains so ridiculously under-the-radar, 2016 is the single most attractive Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval I have tasted, and that spans a lot of vintages! On day one (yesterday) it's so wonderfully luscious and velvety smooth, rolling out a telltale (and delicious!) combo of dark raspberry, black cherry and black currant with a pinch of dark chocolate; it's so good! Day two (today, yup, this morning) the gorgeous fruit purity is all there, plus accents of graphite, Red Mountain soil, and subtle tannins. It has a kingly stature defined by its balance, not by its bigness. We have only 7 cases so maybe I shouldn't gush so much but what the hell, the wine deserves it.
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is, without question, one of the actual handful of best vineyards in Washington. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, entirely from coveted 1982 block, plus 5% Merlot. - Marcus