Charlie “Wine Boss” Hoppes has produced a Malbec that has it all; earthy, fruity, savory, spicy and bright. And it’s grown not far from his flagship Red Mountain tasting room, a product of the Williams family’s Kiona Heart of the Hill Vineyard as well as Scooteney Flats Vineyard and The Canyons Vineyard. Dark cherry, raisin, fig and blackberry lead the theme of fruit-forwardness, flanked by aromas that offer a sense of fresh-turned earth as well as a dry sidewalk when rain begins falls. Along the way, sweet spicy notes of cardamom and clove are working in the background, supported overall by restrained tannins that let the variety’s characteristics to shine through. There’s a pinch of Red Mountain sagebrush, too. Its dusky approach has prompted the Fidelitas team to refer to this Malbec as its “spookiest wine,” and it ranks among the region’s top examples of Malbec, earning a gold medal at the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition in Oregon.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 552 cases
Alcohol: 14.8%
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