Fortant Hills Reserve Viognier 2013
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
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.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
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.