The 2006 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is a blend of 40% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot. Purple-colored, it has an outstanding bouquet of cedar, cinnamon, clove, black currant, and blackberry. On the palate the tannins so predominant in Red Mountain are nicely tamed. There are layers of savory fruit, considerable complexity, excellent balance, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. This lengthy effort will benefit from 3-5 years of additional cellaring and drink well through 2026. Andrew Will, located on Vashon Island, a short ferry-ride from Seattle, is where Chris Camarda fashions his blended, Bordeaux-style wines. These 2006s were reviewed in Issue 177 prior to their release along with the 2005s. I retasted the 2006s at the winery in May, 2009 and report on them again because they are the current releases. I was shown the 2007s of these four wines from a vintage Camarda considers “a super year”. In each case, the 2007 is superior to its 2006 counterpart.Tel. (206) 463-9227; www.andrewwill.com

This is darn near perfect, a matchless expression of berries, dotted with chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch. The berry flavors, highlighted with crisp acids, strike a pure note and ring true over a long, long finish. The blend is 40% Merlot, 37% Cab Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Great concentration, finesse and length. ——P.G.(8/1/2009)—— 95