Heart Of The Hill Malbec
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release, allowing its robust tannins to soften and integrate.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted leg of lamb, gorgonzola cheese
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Sourced from the esteemed Heart of the Hill Vineyard, nestled in the warm, sun-drenched center of Washington State's Red Mountain AVA, this Malbec is a powerful testament to the region's unique terroir. Planted and farmed by the pioneering Williams family, the vineyard features south-facing slopes and gravelly, calcium-carbonate-rich soils that force the vines to struggle, resulting in small, highly concentrated berries. Winemaker Charlie Hoppes coaxes a remarkably deep, structured, and brooding expression of Malbec from this site. Unlike its softer South American counterparts, the Red Mountain iteration is defined by its intense tannic backbone, vibrant acidity, and rich layers of dark fruit, cocoa, and savory spice, shaped by careful aging in French oak.
🍾 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.