Ciel Du Cheval Petit Verdot
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 15 years from the vintage release, as its formidable tannin structure requires a few years to soften and integrate.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
grilled ribeye steak, slow-braised lamb shanks, aged hard cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
The Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, planted in 1975 by pioneering grower Jim Holmes, is one of the most revered sites in Washington State's tiny Red Mountain AVA. This sun-drenched appellation is famous for its harsh, desert-like conditions, gravelly soils rich in calcium carbonate, and sweeping winds. While Petit Verdot is traditionally used as a minor blending grape in Bordeaux, the intense heat of Red Mountain allows it to ripen fully, transforming it into a spectacular single-varietal showcase. Winemaker Charlie Hoppes coaxes incredible depth from these low-yielding vines, crafting a wine known for its opaque purple hue, muscular tannins, and signature aromas of violet, dark plum, and graphite. It represents a masterful marriage of old-world structure and new-world fruit intensity.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2000 by veteran Washington winemaker Charlie Hoppes, Fidelitas is an artisanal winery dedicated to showcasing the distinct terroir of the Red Mountain AVA in Washington State. True to the Latin meaning of its name—faithfulness—the estate adheres to a philosophy of unwavering fidelity to grape varietal and vineyard character. Sourcing fruit from premier sites such as Quintessence, Ciel du Cheval, and the Fidelitas Estate Vineyard, the winery utilizes precise small-lot fermentation and focused oak aging. Fidelitas is celebrated for its powerful, structured, and age-worthy Bordeaux-style reds, most notably its acclaimed single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, Malbec, and signature Optu Red blend.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Petit Verdot