Malbec
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–10 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, blue cheese
✨ wine.spec_sheet
In the arid, sun-drenched landscape of Washington's Red Mountain AVA, Malbec finds an unexpectedly dramatic expression. While traditionally utilized as a blending grape in Bordeaux, winemaker Charlie Hoppes elevates this varietal into a powerful, standalone showcase of the region's intense terroir. The extreme diurnal temperature swings and sweeping winds of Red Mountain stress the vines, forcing them to produce small, thick-skinned berries. This results in a Malbec of remarkable concentration, boasting deep purple hues, savory complexity, and a muscular tannic structure that sets it apart from its softer South American counterparts. It is a testament to the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest, capturing the essence of the ancient Missoula Floods' soils in every glass.
🍾 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.