Fortant Mountains Grand Reserve Carignan 2011
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Fortant wines offer the finest expression of the South of France terroir, beautifully displayed across three tiers that embrace the area's diverse and distinctive topography: Mountains Grand Reserve, Hills Reserve and Coast Select.
Fortant played a pioneering role in the South of France, having led a revolution to champion the noble varietals and implementing a rigorous viticultural regime and committed vineyard partnerships with more than one hundred growers on more than two thousand acres.
The Languedoc is the largest and most diverse wine growing region in the world. For four generations, Fortant has been on a perpetual quest for excellence at the heart of the Languedoc's vineyards. Fortant wines are the finest expression of terroir and true varietal character. The wine styles are very much influenced by the nature of the soil’s and climate conditions where the vines grow. Their personality reflects the region’s extraordinary diversity and the great quality potential in its micro-climates.
Responsible for some of the most stunning old vine red wine on the planet, Carignan has an amazing capacity to survive dry, arid climates and still produce lovely, mouthwatering wine. In Spain it goes by the name of Mazuelo or Cariñena and while it may have originated there in the province of Aragón, its popularity lies elsewhere, particularly in Languedoc-Roussillon. Somm Secret—Historically Carignan did not enjoy the respect that it does today. In the mid 20th century, Carignan covered nearly 140,000 ha in Algeria, where it was made into low quality bulk and blending wine to supply mass-market demand.
A catchall term for the area surrounding the Languedoc and Roussillon, Pays d’Oc is the most important IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) in France, producing 85% of this country’s wine under the IGP designation. (IGP indicates wine of good quality, not otherwise elevated to the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status.)
The near perfect Mediterranean climate combined with dry, cool winds from the north, optimal soils, altitudes and exposures make Pays d’Oc an ideal wine growing region. Single varietal wines and blends are possible here and while many types of grapes do well in Pays d’Oc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Cinsault are among the most common.