Chateau Fortia - Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee du Baron 2018
Price: $43.85
Producer | Chateau Fortia |
Country | France |
Region | Rhone Valley |
Subregion | Chateauneuf du Pape |
Varietal | Red Blend |
Vintage | 2018 |
Sku | 07888 |
Chateau Fortia Description
Chateau Fortia is one of the older estates in Chateauneuf du Pape. In fact Chateau Fortia can date itself all the way back to its humble beginnings as a Southern Rhone Valley farm in 1763. The beautiful estate continued to expand over the years. The first label displaying the Chateau Fortia name was produced in 1930. Today Chateau Fortia is owned and managed by the Le Roy family who have been in charge of the property since the early part of the 20th century. Even though most of their vines are in one large parcel, the soils are varied. They have a terroir of sand, clay, limestone and large rocks in their soil. The vineyard is planted to mostly Grenache with Syrah and a bit of Mourvedre.
Chateau Fortia is best when decanted for about 1-2 hours when young. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Their wines age very well and are usually very expressive with 4-6 years of bottle age. Of course that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. In the best vintages the wine should be consumed within 5-18 years after the vintage
Wine Advocate: 91-93 Points
A bit more concentrated and structured than the regular bottling, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee du Baron also includes more dark chocolate notes, along with black cherries, plums and hints of leather and spice. Full-bodied and almost creamy on the palate, with a long, softly dusty finish, this is a ripe, sumptuous wine to enjoy over the next decade.
Jeb Dunnuck: 91 Points
The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Du Baron (40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre) is cut from the same cloth yet has a touch more acidity as well as structure. Notes of Bing cherries, roasted garrigue, new leather, licorice, and ground pepper all emerge from this more medium-bodied, fresh, focused 2018 that has building tannins and outstanding length.