Known as the Cab King of Red Mountain, Fidelitas’ winemaker and co-owner Charlie Hoppes, makes up to six different expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon each vintage, all from Washington State’s Red Mountain AVA. Hoppes was head winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle in the 1990’s and worked on the early vintages of Col Solare so he knows his way around Washington Cab.
This elegant, savory Cabernet, a blend from several vineyards, brings to mind left bank Bordeaux.
Inky in the glass, dark aromas of black currant and blackberry play well with hints of red fruit, sweet cedar, dust and a subtle smokiness. On the palate, restrained fruit takes a back seat to coffee as the medium-plus frame shows a firm yet lustrous texture, like polished granite. A graphite seam becomes increasingly prominent resting on lovely, elegant tannins, launching the medium length finish.
Neither dynamic nor deep, the tension between the soft, elegant tannins and the sinewy graphite seam gives this wine a lean, arduous grace with understated strength, which pairs nicely with the polished, hard blues of Jonny Lang’s Lie to Me
Technical Notes: Aged in 58% new French Oak, 17% new American oak.
Score: 91
Price: $50
Alc: 14.4 %
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