Champoux Cabernet Sauvignon
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 8 to 20 years from vintage release, allowing the robust tannic structure to integrate and reveal complex tertiary notes.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted rack of lamb, braised beef short ribs
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon by Fidelitas represents a masterful marriage between one of Washington State's most legendary vineyards and the precise winemaking of Charlie Hoppes. Located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Champoux Vineyard was first planted in 1972 and has since achieved mythical status, famously contributing to some of the Pacific Northwest's most celebrated wines. The terroir here is defined by wind-blown loess soils, intense sunshine, and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts, which allow the grapes to achieve optimal phenolic ripeness while retaining vibrant natural acidity. Fidelitas coaxes a remarkably elegant yet powerful expression from this historic site, characterized by deep blackberry and cassis notes, refined, dusty tannins, and a complex mineral backbone that speaks directly to the ancient soils of the Columbia Valley.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Established in 2000 by acclaimed winemaker Charlie Hoppes, Fidelitas is a premier boutique winery deeply rooted in the Red Mountain AVA of Washington State. With a steadfast focus on crafting exceptional Bordeaux-style blends and single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, the winery sources grapes from some of the region's most prestigious vineyards, including Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, and Quintessence, alongside their own estate plantings. Fidelitas is renowned for its modern, precise winemaking techniques, utilizing carefully selected French and American oak barrels to shape wines of remarkable concentration, structure, and aging potential. Under Hoppes' expert guidance, the estate has become a benchmark producer for Red Mountain, capturing the unique, sun-drenched terroir in every bottle of their signature Optu Red and site-specific Cabernet Sauvignon expressions.