About Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
Ciel du Cheval is one of the most revered vineyards in Washington State, planted in 1975 near the geographic center of what is now the Red Mountain AVA. It was established by Jim Holmes, a former Hanford nuclear engineer who, with partner John Williams, pioneered Red Mountain as a great winegrowing site, first buying scrubby land above the Yakima River near Benton City and later founding the celebrated Kiona winery before the two went their separate ways.
Today the vineyard spans roughly 120 acres divided into 36 meticulously custom-farmed blocks averaging under three acres each, an ongoing decades-long experiment in expressing the homogeneous, sought-after soils of Red Mountain. Ciel is prized for red grapes of intense character and dense but supple tannins, and its fruit finds its way into wines from around 25 of the state's finest producers, including Fidelitas, Cadence, Mark Ryan, DeLille's Grand Ciel, and the Quilceda Creek family's Galitzine partnership.
The name loosely translates as 'horse's heaven,' a nod to the nearby Horse Heaven Hills. While Ciel du Cheval is first and foremost a grape-growing estate, visitors can now experience the site directly through guided tastings and vineyard tours offered under its own Cotes de Ciel label, made exclusively from Ciel du Cheval fruit, by appointment.
A legendary Red Mountain vineyard whose fruit shapes many of Washington's greatest reds.
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“A legendary Red Mountain vineyard whose fruit shapes many of Washington's greatest reds.”
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Current Releases
Wines change with each vintage
For an accurate list of current-release wines and library bottlings from Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, please check the winery's official website or contact the tasting room directly. Offerings and current-release vintages rotate seasonally, so confirm availability with the winery.
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Garden & Cave Estate Tasting
A guided appointment through Ciel du Cheval Vineyard's immaculate rose gardens and underground barrel caves followed by a seated tasting of estate Chardonnay and Reserve Cabernet, Napa Valley's most beautiful estate experience.
$75
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