Champoux Vineyard Merlot
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Champoux Vineyard, located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington State, is legendary in Pacific Northwest viticultural history. Originally planted in 1972 as Mercer Ranch, this iconic site gained world-class status under the stewardship of pioneer Paul Champoux. Fidelitas winemaker Charlie Hoppes has long sourced fruit from this revered vineyard to craft a Merlot of exceptional depth and character. The terroir here is defined by wind-blown loess soils and a warm, dry climate tempered by cool breezes from the nearby Columbia River. This unique microclimate allows Merlot to achieve optimal ripeness while maintaining a vibrant backbone of acidity. The resulting wine is a masterclass in balance, showcasing the vineyard's signature dusty tannins, rich dark fruit profile, and an elegant structure shaped by careful aging in premium French oak barrels.
🍾 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.