Fortant Mountains Grand Reserve Pinot Noir 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.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
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.