One of the outstanding houses of Red Mountain and Washington State, Fidelitas was founded by legendary winemaker Charlie Hoppes. Hoppes has served as former head winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle. Prior to working at Chateau Ste. Michelle, he attended the world renowned Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California, Davis and in 1988 he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science and Management with a special emphasis in Viticulture and Enology. After a brief stint in Walla Walla in 1990 at Waterbrook Winery, he began working with superstar winemaker Mike Januik as a member of the winemaking team at Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. Hoppes had the pleasure of making the first vintages of Col Solare, from 1995-1998. After some time, Hoppes wanted to start his own project. Hoppes finally decided to purchase some land on Red Mountain, founding Fidelitas in 2000 -- and has produced fantastic reds and whites since that time. Fidelitas is known for their red and white Bordeaux blends, as well as their rich Cabernets.
The Fidelitas wines I tasted were even better than those made in 2020. The 2021 wines are amongst the finest that I have ever tasted from this house. I adored the the 2021 Fidelitas ’Heart of the Hill Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 96) which is bold and rich, yet possesses a fantastic freshness and lovely herbal accents. This is going to be better and better with a little age. Learn more about the great Fidelitas lineup at http://www.fidelitaswines.com/ Here are the great new wine releases from Fidelitas.
2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Merlot- This is 100% varietal coming from the famed Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. 40% of this wine comes from original plantings (1976). Stored in 40% new French oak, this is soft, round and generous on the mouth, with its plush texture. Layers of rich dark currants combine with red cherry, chocolate, red licorice and shades of sagebrush on the palate. Drink 2024-2040- 94
2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Red Wine- inspired by the great wines of the Right Bank, this red wine comprised of 50% Merlot, with 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and small parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Stored in 58% new French oak this offers beautiful milk chocolate notes from the Merlto alongside green herbs, dark currants and suggestions of middle eastern spices. The palate is marvelously balanced, as you can see each working piece with the herbal tones, alongside graphite, dark fruits, graphite and tobacco notes. Drink 2024-2040- 95
2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Franc- The 2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Franc is an awesome new single varietal wine. Very inky in the glass, this takes on layers of fresh sage, red bell pepper and rich dark fruits with tobacco leaf. This has velvety tannins with refined texture and a seamless drinking experience. Marvelous now, this will live on for at least another fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2041- 95
2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The outstanding 2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from some old vine plantings from this site. A gorgeous, generous effort from this warm vintage, this100% varietal Cabernet displays a refined mouthfeel with velvety tannins on the palate. Rich dark cherry and boysenberry fruit flavors combine with dark chocolate shavings, espresso grounds and pencil lead notes on the palate. Drink 2024-2041- 95
2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Petit Verdot- The deeply perfumed and concentrated 2021 Fidelitas ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Petit Verdot shows marvelous blue fruits on the nose with dried herbs, and dark chocolate shavings. The palate is incredibly good with a lush mouthfeel, refined tannins and a gorgeous core of blue and black fruits. Chewy and rich, enjoy now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2041- 95
2021 Fidelitas ‘Heart of the Hill Vineyard’ Malbec- The 2021 Fidelitas ‘Heart of the Hill Vineyard’ Malbec comes from this famous site that has a small amount of Malbec planted. This wine has been made since the 2013 vintage. Mocha, tar and black licorice all mark the nose alongside exotic spices. Seamless and soft on the mouth, with great elegance and bright acidity, this is already drinking marvelously. Drink 2024-2041- 95
2021 Fidelitas ‘Heart of the Hill Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Fidelitas ‘Heart of the Hill Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning wine that is already nicely evolved now at the three year mark. Once on the nose this takes on layers of tobacco leaf and damp soils alongside scorched earth and dense dark fruits. The palate is soft and refined with a seamless texture and wonderful sense of elegance. Concentrated and dense, with bright underlying acidity, this is a stunning new bottling that has richness, poise and wonderful earthy tones. This is going to age gracefully. Drink 2024-2044- 96
2021 Fidelitas ‘Optu’ Red Wine- This is one of the first Fidelitas wines that I tasted back in 2007. This 2021 ‘Optu’ combines 66% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller portions Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Stored in 33% new French oak, this offers black licorice and black tea on the nose alongside anise. The palate is soft and refined with a ripe mouthfeel. The sense of balance is beautiful here. Drink 2024-2040- 94
2020 Fidelitas ‘Blackwood Canyon Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Coming from this old vineyard first planted back in 1984. Some new American oak was used (24%) as this offers black pepper and coffee grounds alongside creme de cassis. The palate is soft and refined with silky tannins that combine with rich dark fruits alongside black tea and espresso grounds on the palate. Rich and viscous, this is a stunning effort from a tough vintage. Drink 2024-2030- 95