Château-Fortia 2016 - Cuvée du Baron - Châteauneuf-Du-Pape

Presentation of Château Fortia:

A domain of 36 hectares located in the heart of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation since the 18th century. The Château gets its name from the locality "La Fortiasse" where it is situated. 32 hectares of the domain are dedicated to vineyards. The remaining 4 hectares are used to provide a natural balance to the estate. 90% of the vineyard is covered with rolled pebbles, famous for the thermal regulation they bring to the vines.

The estate cultivates "only" 6 grape varieties out of the 13 authorized by the appellation: the classic Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre for reds, and Roussanne, Clairette, and Grenache Blanc for white wines.

Cuvée du Baron 2016:

This is the intermediate cuvée of the estate. Composed mainly of Grenache (about 50%) and Syrah (about 40%), with a touch of Mourvèdre (about 10%), all destemmed at 90%. 2016 is proclaimed as "exceptional," a term that has lost some of its meaning due to the numerous "exceptional" vintages. But let's move on to the tasting to learn more.

Tasting Notes Cuvée du Baron Château Fortia 2016 by WUAT in February 2024: READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

To be completely transparent, we were not familiar with Château Fortia until we discovered it while acquiring from a connoisseur's cellar. And since our customers are generally quite discerning in their selection, we had a hard time imagining that this cuvée could be disappointing.

We decide to embark on its tasting. A 2016 wine for us is a baby; the nose is powerful but somewhat unstructured, a bit green, with hints of fresh cherry and strawberry jam. The lack of cohesion is reflected in the mouth; the tannins are a bit green though fine, and the peppery notes of Syrah are present. We wait a few hours, and it's better but still not great. At this point, we didn't think of offering it on WUAT.

24 hours later, it's a different wine, finally balanced and harmonious, with roundness and pleasure! So, it's a validated wine but with instructions.

Conclusion:

A wine to decant at least 6 hours before tasting and that can wait for many years in the cellar.