Fidelitas opened their new tasting room recently, and I had to revisit this Red Mountain delight. Winemaker Charlie Hoppes of course has an impressive track record including time at Chateau Ste Michelle and was also creator of some of the early vintages of Col Solare. Today, son and winemaker Will Hoppes, along with Mitch Venohr make up the winemaking team. Sourcing is primarily from their Red Mountain Estate, but also include neighborhood vineyards.
2021 Quintessence Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc A full and gratifying sauvignon blanc, apple and pear, with nice minerality. $50. Score 92. 2021 Red Mountain Optu White 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon. klipsun and artz vineyard. Pear nose with white flowers, and graphite aromas. A luscious medium body of sweet pear, apple, nectarines, and citrus. Suggestions of grapefruit pith. $40. Score 93. 2019 The Canyons Vineyard Malbec Canyons Vineyard. Bouquet of purple flowers, crushed cherries, plum, raisins and wet stone. Dark dense and chewy fruit of dried currant, raisins, plum, but remaining dry on the palate with notes of white pepper and dusted cocoa. The tannins are grippy, the finish is long. $60. Score 90. 2019 Estate Vineyard Red Blend 50% Cab, 25% PV, 20% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc. Toasted oak, vanilla, and dark fruit aromas with graphite. An earthy blend of dark cherries, vanilla and strong notes of cocoa, with clear Petit Verdot influence. Dusty tannins on the finish. $60. Score 90. 2019 Blackwood Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 8. Old vines nearly 50y old. Side by side with one day opened. One day opened has heavy black pepper and green peppercorn aromas. Toasted oak. Dusty tannins. This settled. Freshly opened bottle shows more subtle black pepper aromas, graphite and touch of smoke. A bold, and dry cab with a conplex mix of red, blue and black fruit, swimming in minerality, with velvety chocolate vanilla. The finish is long with drying tannins. $80. Score 92. 2019 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 8. Mixed vineyard. Black pepper, gravel and stone aromas. A solid cabernet, with great red mountain representation. Bright, vibrant, bold and chewy black and candied red fruit, with notes of wet stone, black pepper. Ready to go! Great quality to price ratio. $50. Score 93.
I was pleased to revisit Fidelitas. The tasting room is spacious and gorgeous, but that aside, the wine was of course impactful. The 2021 Red Mountain Optu White was a stunner of a white blend. I found the 2019 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon well balanced, and representative of Red Mountain at a reasonable price point.
