DOMAINE DU MONTEILLET. COTE ROTIE FORTIS
Northern Rhône Syrah at its very best. 'Fortis' is Latin for brave, strong, powerful or courageous. Quite an apt description of this wine.
Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhone
2021
14% ABV.
95% Syrah, 5% Viognier
75cl.
£81.95
Price includes VAT
Tasting notes:
Dark ruby color. On the nose we have intense aromas of red fruit (blackcurrant), vanilla, and some roasted notes The mouth is very fine, the tannins are well rounded and melted. Long and silky finish.
About the wine:
‘Fortis’ is Latin for strong, brave, vigorous and valiant which is quite apt for this particular wine.
Côte Rôtie is split into two distinct vineyard areas, the Côtes Blonde and Côtes Brune. The 'Fortis' is made from younger vines grown on the lighter chalky white soils of the Côtes Blonde
The grapes are harvest manually into small wooden boxes to prevent grape damage before reaching the winery. The picked grapes are sorted, selecting only the best berries, in the vineyard and secondly in the winery before destemming.
Fermentation is closely controlled, keeping the temperature low and the period long (3-4 weeks) and only naturally occurring indigenous yeasts are used.
The wine is aged for 19 months in half-muid (580 litre) French oak barrels.
About the producer:
Stéphane Montez' family have been growing grapes in the Northern Rhône for ten generations and today have vineyards in Condrieu, Côte Rôtie and Saint-Joseph.
After formally studying winemaking, tenth generation vigneron Stéphane, not content with simply growing grapes as his forefathers had done, travelled to south Africa, Australia, California and even England to experience winemaking outside France, before returning to the family's vineyards to make wine from the grapes they had expertly tended, and which truly express the French terroir of the prime sites they own.
The winery was founded in 1732 and Stéphane, the young, talented and dynamic winemaker, took over the family vineyard in 1997.
