95 points Vinous
A rich and darkly alluring mix of plum sauce, grilled sage and hints of sweet smoke makes the 2018 Red Wine Ciel du Cheval a total pleasure on the nose. This is seamlessly silky, with potent red fruits complimented by a pleasant inner sweetness that’s quickly firmed up by saturating minerality and fine tannins collecting toward the close. The 2018 finishes youthfully inward and structured, leaving nuances of blueberry preserve and a dusting of cocoa to linger. The 2018 is just a baby today, but with serious cellar potential packed in. Wow. (EG) (10/2022)
94 points Jeb Dunnuck
An interesting mix of 57% Merlot and 43% Cabernet Franc, all from one of the top sites on Red Mountain, the 2018 Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard sports a deep ruby/purple hue along with lots of Bing cherry, mulberry, and blueberry fruits as well as notes of spring flowers, graphite, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with good acidity and ripe tannins, it’s another wine from this estate that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and have two decades of prime drinking. (5/2021)