Montis Red
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted rosemary lamb chops, braised beef short ribs
✨ Technical Specifications
Named after the Latin word for mountain, the Montis Red is a masterful tribute to the unique, high-desert terroir of Washington State's acclaimed Red Mountain AVA. Crafted by winemaker Charlie Hoppes, this red blend captures the rugged elegance of the region, where intense solar radiation, sweeping winds, and gravelly, calcium-carbonate-rich soils produce grapes of remarkable concentration and thick skins. The wine represents a harmonious marriage of traditional Bordeaux varieties, showcasing the structured tannins, vibrant acidity, and deep dark fruit character that have made Red Mountain a legendary name in American viticulture. Each vintage of Montis is carefully raised in select French oak barrels to refine its powerful structure while preserving the expressive, mineral-edged fruit profile native to these sun-drenched slopes.
🍾 About the Producer
Fidélitas was founded in 2000 by veteran Washington winemaker Charlie Hoppes, formerly the head red winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Joined by his son Will Hoppes, the winery embodies an unyielding dedication to Bordeaux grape varieties cultivated exclusively within Washington State's prestigious Red Mountain AVA. Situated on warm, southwest-facing slopes, the region's intense sunlight, fierce winds, poor gravelly loam soils, and profound diurnal temperature fluctuations foster thick-skinned berries with formidable concentration and natural acidity. The estate vineyard, first planted in 2008 and farmed sustainably with Sustainable WA certification, is complemented by premier fruit partnerships with iconic sites such as Ciel du Cheval and Quintessence. Winemaking employs micro-lot fermentations in oak and neutral barrels, yielding structured, deeply expressive wines. The estate's benchmark portfolio is anchored by the flagship Optu Red and Optu White blends, vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignons, and varietal Malbecs.