Winemaker's Journal

Latest Scores! -Dunnuck & Suckling

We have mixed thoughts on scores but we do submit some of our wines, some of the time. Regardless of the score I always appreciate their tasting notes. These professionals have such great palates and great wine vocabulary-reading their description of the wine always feels pretty spot on!

Here are Jeb Dunnuck's reviews:

2020 CIEL - 92PTS

I loved the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Ciel Du Cheval, a pure, balanced, elegant 2020 with lots of character. Cassis, red plums, toasted spice, leather, and dried herb notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a pure, polished mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish.-JD

2020 YAKIMA - 92PTS

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley is slightly less expensive but offers a similar inky hue, terrific notes of red, blue, and black fruits, more classic Yakima Valley herbal and floral notes, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I'm a fan, and this should have a decade of prime drinking.-JD

James Suckling Review:

2019 OLD GOAT - 92PTS

This has aromas of bitter chocolate, mint, blackcurrants and wild blueberries. Chalky minerality ensues on the palate, with a full body and firm, grainy tannins. Tangy acidity. Let it soften. 67% cabernet sauvignon and 33% merlot. Try after 2024.

2020 CIEL - 91PTS

This has aromas of spiced cherries, blackcurrants, plums, cedar and chocolate orange. Spicy, with full body, ripe tannins and a creamy finish. A little lean in the middle, but supple and tasty. 100% cabernet sauvignon. Drink now.

2020 YAKIMA - 91PTS

Currants, orange peel, plums and spice box on the nose. Savory and juicy with medium to full body, ripe tannins and a savory, supple finish. 86% cabernet sauvignon and 14% merlot. Drink now or hold.

2022 SAUVIGNON BLANC - 90PTS

A fruity white with aromas of lime zest, lemon curd, guavas and green apples. Medium-bodied, sharp and refreshing with a zesty finish. Drink now. Screw cap.

Jul 25, 2023 at 5:56 PM Permalink

2023 Fall Wine Club Offerings

2021 Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Justin's Winemaking Notes: 

Tech notes: 57% Elephant Mountain Vineyard, 29% Two Blondes Vineyard, 14% Red Willow Vineyard Assemblage: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon & 14% Merlot

2021 Ciel du Cheval Mourvedre

Every year we get a small amount of grapes from Ciel du Cheval that are not Cabernet Sauvignon that we release to wine club and then on our website. Last year we released a Syrah and this year we have a Mourvedre. Mourvedre is a medium bodied and rustic grape. It is typically used as a blending grape in the Rhone Valley, along with Syrah and Grenache. I love how this wine turned out, it is earthy with lighter tannins. I am really looking foward to enjoying this wine with roasted vegetables this fall.

2021 Two Blondes Cabernet Sauvignon

We have been working with Two Blondes Vineyard for over ten vintages and each year we are reminded why we keep coming back. The aromatics and elegance of fruit is so special and is such a great part of our program. The 2021 vintage was especially good so we decided to make two vineyard designate wines from that vintage. The 2021 Ciel Cab, which we will release next spring (the 2020 just received 92 points from Jeb Dunnuck and is tasting fantastic at the moment) and the 2021 Two Blondes Cab included in this release. 

Tech notes:

2019 Old Goat

Justin's Winemaking Notes: The goal with the Old Goat is simply to craft the best wine we can with what the vintage gave us. It can be a blend of varieties and vineyards, whatever it needs to be. In 2019 the Merlot from Red Willow was outstanding. It helped to flesh out the Cabernet Sauvignon, contributing a somewhat rounder mouthfeel and filled in the gaps on the palette.  On the nose it offered up a darker fruit component in the blend, but does not overwhelm the Cabernet. The goal with the concrete is to get the wine off of the wood and allow the components of the wine time to stew and come together before bottling. 

Tech notes: 19 months in 67% new French oak (Boutes, Sylvain & Taransaud) and 33% neutral French oak. It was then blended and aged an additional 10 months in concrete tank. Unfined and unfiltered.

Alcohol – 14.0%  TA –  6.4 g/L   pH – 3.65

This wine was just scored by James Suckling: 

2019 OLD GOAT - 92PTS

This has aromas of bitter chocolate, mint, blackcurrants and wild blueberries. Chalky minerality ensues on the palate, with a full body and firm, grainy tannins. Tangy acidity. Let it soften. 67% cabernet sauvignon and 33% merlot. Try after 2024.

Jul 25, 2023 at 4:44 PM Permalink

2021 Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is so fun to make because it is a blend of 3 different vineyards made with the intention of showcasing the best of Yakima Valley. This vintage has fruit primarily from the upper valley: Elephant Mountain Vineyard, Two Blondes Vineyard, and  Red Willow. Red Willow is a James Beard nominated vineyard that we are honored to source fruit from. The grapes from here are earthy with blueberry notes. Elephant Mountain grapes offer plush mouthfeel, balanced on the palate, with nice acidity. Two Blondes is the coolest (temperature wise) site and the fruit at this site offers incredible aromatics. When blending these vineyards together Justin created a wine that is balanced, aromatic, full bodied and a great example of Cabernet grown in the Yakima Valley. 2021 was a very hot growing season and this wine is more approachable than previous wines and already smooth, round, with nice tannins. The hot vintage created higher than normal levels of glycerol, a result of warmer fermentation temperatures as well as higher sugars which creates a perceived sweetness or ripe fruit flavor.

Brooke's Tasting Notes:

• On the nose: earth, cherry, licorice, oak
• On the palate: cherry, eucalyptus, blueberry, chocolate, round tannins, light-to medium bodied with some weight.

Justin's Tasting Notes:

• On the nose: floral, red fruit, slight oak
• On the palate: eucalyptus, ripe huckleberry, medium bodied, balanced, approachable

May 30, 2023 at 12:34 PM Permalink

2023 Spring Wine Club Offerings

Here are our 2023 Spring Wine Club offerings. We could not be more excited about these wines. Please reach out if you have any questions! Cheers! - Justin & Brooke

2019 Old Goat (2 Hippo Concrete Tanks)

• 100% Red Willow
• 67% Cabernet Sauvignon/33% Merlot
• 19 months in 67% New French Oak and 33% Neutral French Oak then blended and aged an additional 10 months in concrete tanks

This is Justin’s favorite wine and his best wine every single vintage and it is by design. The goal with the Old Goat is simply to craft the best wine we can with what the vintage gave us. It can be a blend of varieties and vineyards, whatever it needs to be. In 2019 the Merlot from Red Willow was outstanding. It helped to flesh out the Cabernet Sauvignon, contributing a somewhat rounder mouthfeel and filled in the gaps on the palette.  On the nose it offered up a darker fruit component in the blend, but does not overwhelm the Cabernet. The goal with the concrete is to get the wine off of the wood and allow the components of the wine time to stew and come together before bottling. This wine will be offered to public and through distribution in the fall.

2020 Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (25 barrels)

• 64% Elephant Mountain, 14% Red Willow, 11% Two Blondes, 11% Ciel du Cheval
• 86% Cabernet Sauvignon/14% Merlot
• 57% Neutral French Oak and 43% New French Oak

This wine is so fun to make because it is a blend of 4 different vineyards made with the intention of showcasing the best of Yakima Valley in its entirety. This wine has fruit from up and down the valley-from cold sites and hot sites: Elephant Mountain, Red Willow, Two Blondes, and Ciel du Cheval. The majority of the grapes in this wine come from Elephant Mountain vineyard-Justin loves the plush mouthfeel and nice acidity from this vineyard. Red Willow is a James Beard nominated vineyard that we love. The grapes from here are earthy with blueberry notes (this is the vineyard we source fruit for our Old Goat-reserve Cabernet). Two Blondes vineyard is the coolest site we work with and the most aromatic. The nose is full of lavender and floral components. We love the delicacy and aromatics of this vineyard so we do make a small number of vineyard designate Cabs from this vineyard. Ciel du Cheval is located on Red Mountain and is an incredibly hot (temp) site. We love Red Mt fruit-big, tannic, bright cherry flavors. When blending these vineyards together Justin created a wine that is balanced, aromatic, full bodied and a great example of Cabernet grown in the Yakima Valley. We will be sold out of this wine after this wine club release.

2020 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon (9 barrels)

• 100% Ciel du Cheval
• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 63% New French Oak and 37% Neutral French Oak

We have big love for this vineyard and will be sold out after this wine club release. Ciel du Cheval is located on Red Mountain. It is one of the few sites that can get a jammy note in WA State, it has a great weight and volume on the palate, and it is a bit more delicate than traditional WA state cabs. The clone of Cabernet is different than most clones planted in Washington State. This clone 337 is new to our state and is from Bordeaux, France. It’s a bit herbaceous and has more red fruit notes. We are excited about this wine and look forward to further integrating this vineyard into our wine program. We also have access to a small amount of different grapes each harvest from this vineyard that is available to our wine club and has been really fun to experiment with last year was Mourvedre & this year Grenache.

2022 Sauvignon Blanc

• 100% AlderRidge Vineyard
• 100% Sauvignon Blanc
• 100% Tank

The Sauv Blanc is a story of perseverance (on my part).  After years of me kindly asking for a white wine, Justin responded with a fresh, crisp Sauvignon Blanc that has the perfect acidity. There are balanced notes of tropical fruit and tarragon. The fruit comes from AlderRidge Vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills. Justin sought out this vineyard specifically because they use a different clone than most in the state. The label is a nod to my hometown. I grew up on an island (Whidbey) in the Pacific Northwest so PNW artist, Nikki McClure (the same artist as our Old Goat label), created a seaweed and crab scene that we think pairs perfectly with the wine.

Feb 14, 2023 at 12:39 PM Permalink

Fall Wine Club Offerings 2022

We have 4 wines available in our Fall Wine Club Shipment.

2020 Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retail $35 Club Price $29.75

This wine combines fruit from 4 different vineyards located throughout the Yakima Valley-from Red Mountain to the most western point. By doing this we are able to offer a great overview of all that the Yakima Valley has to offer. A wine with dark fruit and graphite notes that is balanced with a plush mouthfeel.

• 25 barrels produced
• 86% Cabernet Sauvignon 14% Merlot
• 64% Elephant Mountain Vineyard, 14% Red Willow Vineyard, 11% Ciel du Cheval Vineyard & 11% Two Blondes
• Aged 18 months 43% New French Oak

2020 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon Retail $50 Club Price $42.50

Justin's Thoughts: Our best Ciel yet! The wine had great vibrancy and balance on the nose and palate. It displays a great bouquet of ripe huckleberries and cassis intertwined with baking spices and a bit of earth. The palate has great volume and weight, with rounded tannins and an acidity that keeps the wine bright and vibrant. It is a great example of the power Red Mountain can bring, with a bit more finesse that Ciel du Cheval is known for bringing to this AVA.

• 9 barrels produced
• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 100% Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

2020 Ciel du Cheval Syrah Retail $35.00 Club Price $29.75

This was such a fun wine to make and we love how it turned out-incredible aromatics and a very smooth finish. This wine was made with 100% stems on and co fermented with 5% Viogner and left on the skins for 4 weeks. Fermented partially with Native Yeast and aged for 16 months in a neutral Puncheon. This will make the perfect Thanksgiving wine, pairing well with roasted Turkey and complimenting the bright red cranberry dishes. It is available only to wine club and on our website.

• 1 Puncheon
• 95% Syrah 5% Viogner
• 100% Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

2018 Old Goat Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Retail $60.00 Club Price $51.00

Justin’s Thoughts: The 2018 Old Goat takes a while to open up and then there are notes of baking spices, herbs, fennel, ripe blackberry, and cassis. Good overall balance and breadth of palate. Acid is nicely integrated. Medium +, elegant, not excessive or overbearing. An excellent expression of Red Willow Cab. This is the best wine I can make, cellar 10+ years or enjoy now. 93 points from James Suckling.

• 6 barrels produced
• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 100% Red Willow Vineyard
• 1 bottle per wine club member

Aug 31, 2022 at 6:30 PM Permalink

James Suckling Scores

There may be nothing more controversial in the wine industry as scores. We have very mixed feelings ourselves on the topic but with so many wines in the world, scores can be helpful in quickly identifying wines to try and wineries to watch. We are proud of our wines and proud of our scores.

Our California distributor said it best, "... scores in the 90's for a small winery are a huge benefit for sales in my opinion. A score is an indicator that the wine is not a "risk" for the customer to try for the first time. It also indicates that the wine is balanced and very well made, at the bare minimum. For your wines, at your price point, it is a really big deal..."

May 23, 2022 at 2:07 PM Permalink

2019 Ciel du Cheval

2019 Ciel du Cheval

(198 cases produced)

Vineyard:

100% Ciel du Cheval

Assemblage:

80% Cabernet Sauvignon  & 20% Merlot

Every year we choose a vineyard that is really expressing their site and make a Cabernet exclusively from that vineyard’s fruit. In the past we have made vineyard designate Cabernets from Artz Vineyard, DuBrul Vineyard, and Two Blondes Vineyard. In 2018 and 2019 we made a vineyard designate from the newest vineyard we started sourcing fruit from, Ciel du Cheval. This is a well-known site located on Red Mountain.

Tasting Notes: The Cabernet Sauvignon is clone 337. This clone is new to our state from Bordeaux France. This wine has bright cherry and raspberry on the nose with a great weight and volume on the palate. The wine is more delicate and supple than our other two Cabernets.

Vinification:  Fruit was hand harvested September 28, 2019.  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.   

Bottled unfined and unfiltered on April 14th, 2021.

Elevage:   

17 months in 63% new French oak and 37% neutral French oak

Alcohol – 14.9%

TA –  6.4 g/L

pH – 3.57

Aug 30, 2021 at 9:28 AM Permalink

2018 Ciel du Cheval

I have been wanting to work with this vineyard since the moment I started making wine. I have waited patiently on their waiting list until the summer of 2018 when I got the opportunity to purchase fruit. It was worth the wait. The Ciel is such a meticulously cared for vineyard and it shows in the quality of the fruit. The vines are young but I still felt like the wine was special enough to create a vineyard designate.

So in 2018 our fruit was  hand harvested September 28, 2018. The grapes were destemmed and crushed leaving ~20% whole berries.  The wine was cold soaked for approximately 72 hours at about 12oC and native yeast began fermenting after about 72 hours. The wine was gravity racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered on August 12, 2020.

We made 123 cases and this wine sold out in less than three months. We were so pleased by how much everyone enjoyed this Cabernet. We are sold out now except for wine club members and are really excited to release our next vintage of Ciel du Cheval in the fall.

Mar 30, 2021 at 12:44 PM Permalink

2017 Old Goat

This is the best wine I can make. Every winter I taste through all my barrels and pick out the absolute best ones. Those chosen barrels get blended together to make the Old Goat. The grapes were hand harvested October 10, 2017. Cold soaked for 3 days and fermentation started with native yeast after 2 days. The wine was gravity racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered on March 31st, 2020.

The label art was done by Nikki McClure. She is a PNW artist who creates her work using an X-Acto knife and one black piece of paper. The name Old Goat was my nickname in college as my friends and I climbed all over the northwest, like old mountain goats.

The wine is 100% from Red Willow vineyard. I think this may be my favorite vineyard in WA state. The flavors that come from this vineyard are like no other I have ever worked with. 2017 was the first year I was able to get fruit from here and it is no surprise to me that it ended up becoming the Old Goat. Last night Brooke and I sat down with a bottle to deep dive into its nuances. It is a young wine that was made with the intention of laying down for a few more years. But still there are bright red fruits on the mid-palate and finish, good acidity, and woodsy flavors. I am really excited to release this wine in the fall, unless you are wine club and you have the chance to pick up a bottle in the spring! Thank you for enjoying wine with us!

Mar 30, 2021 at 12:44 PM Permalink

2018 Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Four of my favorite vineyards all along the Yakima Valley in one wine. This wine highlights the interesting aromatics from cool vineyards in the upper valley and a long finish, from grapes grown in hot sites in the lower valley. We think this wine shows the best of Cabernet in the Yakima Valley.

 It was made with 20% whole berries and cold soaked for 4 days. Fermentation began with native yeast after 3 days. The wine was kept in separate oak barrels until the final blending.

Bottled unfined and unfiltered on August 12th 2020.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyards:

• Artz Vineyard
• Two Blondes
• Dineen Vineyard
• Red Willow Vineyard

21 months in 51% New French Oak Barrels

Tasting Notes: cherry, graphite, baking spices. Round tannins and plush mouthfeel.

Mar 30, 2021 at 12:43 PM Permalink Comments (651)