Ciel Du Cheval Cabernet Franc
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-rubbed pork tenderloin
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, first planted in 1975 by pioneer Jim Holmes, is one of the most revered and historic sites in Washington State's Red Mountain AVA. Known for its gravelly, high-calcium soils and intense desert heat, this vineyard produces fruit of remarkable concentration and structural power. Winemaker Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas masterfully channels this unique terroir into his Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Franc. The wine beautifully balances the grape's classic savory complexity—notably dried herbs, tobacco, and cocoa—with the rich, dark fruit profile and robust, dusty tannins characteristic of Red Mountain. It stands as a sophisticated expression of Washington's ability to craft world-class, age-worthy Cabernet Franc.
🍾 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.