Ciel Du Cheval Red
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 15 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, braised beef short ribs
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, planted in 1975 by pioneer Jim Holmes, is one of the most revered and historic sites in Washington State's Red Mountain AVA. Fidelitas' Ciel du Cheval Red is a masterful tribute to this terroir, where ancient glacial flood soils rich in calcium carbonate and gravel combine with intense desert heat and sweeping winds. Winemaker Charlie Hoppes coaxes incredible depth from this fruit, crafting a classic Bordeaux-style blend known for its signature 'dusty' Red Mountain tannins, rich dark fruit profile, and a distinct mineral backbone. The vineyard's unique microclimate yields grapes with thick skins, resulting in a wine of immense concentration, structure, and complexity that beautifully reflects the rugged elegance of the region.
🍾 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.