2013 Grand Ciel Cabernet 6.0L

RED MOUNTAIN AVA

The 2013 Grand Ciel Cabernet Sauvignon is an amazing combination of concentration, power and refinement.  There is a full array of fruit characteristics including massive blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, cassis and jam.  The mouthfeel is unmatched with notes of coffee, toffee, black pepper, pie dough, cumin, fennel and a touch of leather that melts into the complex fruit flavors.  The oak and fruit integration is impeccable and seamless with a powerful yet elegant finish. Truly a gorgeous wine. 

Review by Jeb Dunnuck for Robert Parker #225:

A spitting image of a top Pauillac, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Grand Ciel comes from one of the top terroirs in the state, the Grand Ciel Vineyard on Red Mountain. Aged all in new French oak, its offers sensational notes of lead pencil shavings, black currants, campfire, graphite and crushed flowers. Full-bodied, seamless and incredibly elegant, yet with serious density and power, it's surprisingly approachable given its polished tannin and overall balance, yet I've no doubt it will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.