The Canyons Malbec
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–10 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, portobello mushrooms
✨ Technical Specifications
The Canyons Vineyard, nestled on the northern slopes of Washington State's acclaimed Red Mountain AVA, provides a dramatic terroir for this exceptional Malbec. Shaped by the cataclysmic Missoula Floods of the last ice age, the vineyard features steep, canyon-like topography that channels winds and traps the intense heat of the desert sun. This unique microclimate, combined with gravelly, calcium-carbonate-rich soils, allows the Malbec grapes to develop thick skins, deep color, and concentrated flavors while retaining a vibrant natural acidity. Crafted by winemaker Charlie Hoppes, this wine showcases the power and structure characteristic of Red Mountain, refined through careful aging in French oak to highlight the vineyard's distinctive mineral and dark fruit profile.
🍾 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.
🍇 Grapes
Malbec