The vineyard blends begin with the 2008 Ciel du Cheval. It is composed of 36% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 32% Cabernet Franc. Alluring aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, violets, incense, black currant, and blackberry inform the nose of a spicy, layered, impeccably balanced and structured wine that will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring. Andrew Will, located on Vashon Island, a short ferry-ride from Seattle, is where Chris Camarda fashions his blended, Bordeaux-style wines. In the 2008 vintage Camarda began producing two varietal wines at a lower price point due to the recession. In 2009 he has done the same but with vineyard designations.Tel. (206) 463-9227; www.andrewwill.com

Winemaker Chris Camarda is antiformulaic; his wines in 2008 feature radically different blends from the 2007s. This is a third each Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cab Franc. It reflects the vineyard’s penchant for tart berry fruit set atop astringent, mineral-driven tannins. It’s tight and dense, with vertical power. Flavors roll gracefully into a medium-length finish. ——P.G.(11/1/2011)—— 93

The 2007 Ciel du Cheval is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and 15 % Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 40% new French oak for 20 months. Medium purple in color, it offers up an enticing nose of pain grille, pencil lead, herbs, olives, violets, cassis, and black currant. Ripe, smooth-textured, and mouth-filling, it has enough structure to evolve for several years. This lengthy effort will offer prime drinking from 2013 to 2027. Andrew Will, located on Vashon Island, a short ferry-ride from Seattle, is where Chris Camarda fashions his blended, Bordeaux-style wines. Without prompting Camarda told me (as he did Lettie Teague in a Wall Street Journal interview) that business has been very difficult, that he is cutting production, and that in the 2008 vintage he has fashioned two varietal wines that can sell within the range that American wine consumers are willing to spend. That said, the current releases of Andrew Will wines from the 2007 vintage are as good as or better than anything Camarda has done before.Tel. (206) 463-9227; www.andrewwill.com