2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château Fortia "Tradition" (Pre-Arrival)

90-93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Vivid red. Sexy, pinot-like bouquet of red berries, minerals and fresh flowers, with suave undertones of herbs and game. Smooth and gently sweet, with palate-caressing raspberry and cherry flavors and no obvious tannins. Finishes clean, energetic and long. This will be very attractive when it's released." (Jan/Feb '09) 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre. Medium-plus intensity. Similarly structured to the Cuvee de Baron, although showing more raspberry, cherry and red fruit notes presently.More spicebox qualitites, along with very balanced structure between rich fruit, acidity and ripe tannins. A bit more open now than the Baron. Chateau Fortia has sealed its reputation as one of the most influential estates in the history of French wine as well as Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It was the Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseumarie, a family member who owned the Chateau at the turn of the 20th century, who organized a syndicate of growers to institute a series of strict regulations for the appellation, including delimited area of production, authorized varietals, methods of cultivation and vinification, and minimum alcohol levels. This self-imposed charter became the basis for France's appellation controlee (A.O.C.) system. Today, the domaine is upholding its lofty standards, producing wines of character and elegance, all the while garnering more converts with each vintage. (Mulan Chan, K&L Wine Merchants) ETA for this wine is late