We have only offered a few vintages of the Fortis, but 2018 looks to be an exciting example with a bit of age that we thought was worth a spin. The Villard family has owned Domaine de Monteillet since the 17th century, with its most famous owner being Louis Hector, Duke of Villard, Marshal of France for Louis XIV from 1653 to 1734. In 1741 the ancestor of Stephan Montez purchased the Domaine with money from being a master carpenter and cooper, which set the domaine up for its modern-day production. Today, the very talented Stephane Montez operates the estate, which covers 38 hectares over four different appellations. Their most notable wines, however, come from Cote-Rotie, with the Fortis being the gem of the lineup. Fortis comes from vines planted in Cote Blonde and is mostly Syrah, co-fermented with 5% Viognier. 2018 is an excellent example of this wine that shows adequate power, minerality, complexity, depth, richness, and impeccable balance, as noted below by Jeb. Another incredible wine from the very talented Stephane Montez; this is an address to continue to keep an eye on and a top example of Cote Rotie this vintage. We have low pricing on a limited amount arriving next week.
Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 points! "While the Les Grandes Places gets all the love, I also love the Fortis cuvée, which has a more approachable, seamless style that I adore. The 2018 Côte Rôtie Fortis (which includes 5% Viognier and was brought up in 40% new demi-muids) looks terrific and has full-bodied richness and depth as well as complex notes of black raspberries, ground pepper, crushed violets, and rendered bacon. It shows more smoky, meaty notes as it sits in the glass and delivers ripe tannins along with stunning balance. Stephane Montez is unquestionably one of the most talented and passionate vignerons in the Northern Rhône and produces a bevy of brilliant Condrieu and Côte Rôties. In addition to his classic Les Grandes Chaillees and Chanson Condrieu releases, Montez has recently added a new Condrieu La Grillette to his repertoire that comes from vines bordering Chateau Grillet. It’s another magical wine in this lineup and while neither the 2017 nor 2018 had been bottled, both were some of the finest Condrieu to pass my lips. Looking at the reds, the two flagship releases are the Côte Rôtie Fortis, which is notable for its large Viognier component, and the Les Grandes Places, which sees the longest élevage of all the reds. The Fortis is relatively approachable on release and is always a seamless, seductive wine. The Grandes Places is a beast of a wine that demands upwards of a decade of bottle age."
2018 Stéphane Montez / Domaine de Monteillet Côte-Rôtie Fortis
2018 Stéphane Montez / Domaine de Monteillet Côte-Rôtie Fortis
$79.99
$79.99
We have only offered a few vintages of the Fortis, but 2018 looks to be an exciting example with a bit of age that we thought was worth a spin. The Villard family has owned Domaine de Monteillet since the 17th century, with its most famous owner being Louis Hector, Duke of Villard, Marshal of France for Louis XIV from 1653 to 1734. In 1741 the ancestor of Stephan Montez purchased the Domaine with money from being a master carpenter and cooper, which set the domaine up for its modern-day production. Today, the very talented Stephane Montez operates the estate, which covers 38 hectares over four different appellations. Their most notable wines, however, come from Cote-Rotie, with the Fortis being the gem of the lineup. Fortis comes from vines planted in Cote Blonde and is mostly Syrah, co-fermented with 5% Viognier. 2018 is an excellent example of this wine that shows adequate power, minerality, complexity, depth, richness, and impeccable balance, as noted below by Jeb. Another incredible wine from the very talented Stephane Montez; this is an address to continue to keep an eye on and a top example of Cote Rotie this vintage. We have low pricing on a limited amount arriving next week.
Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 points! "While the Les Grandes Places gets all the love, I also love the Fortis cuvée, which has a more approachable, seamless style that I adore. The 2018 Côte Rôtie Fortis (which includes 5% Viognier and was brought up in 40% new demi-muids) looks terrific and has full-bodied richness and depth as well as complex notes of black raspberries, ground pepper, crushed violets, and rendered bacon. It shows more smoky, meaty notes as it sits in the glass and delivers ripe tannins along with stunning balance. Stephane Montez is unquestionably one of the most talented and passionate vignerons in the Northern Rhône and produces a bevy of brilliant Condrieu and Côte Rôties. In addition to his classic Les Grandes Chaillees and Chanson Condrieu releases, Montez has recently added a new Condrieu La Grillette to his repertoire that comes from vines bordering Chateau Grillet. It’s another magical wine in this lineup and while neither the 2017 nor 2018 had been bottled, both were some of the finest Condrieu to pass my lips. Looking at the reds, the two flagship releases are the Côte Rôtie Fortis, which is notable for its large Viognier component, and the Les Grandes Places, which sees the longest élevage of all the reds. The Fortis is relatively approachable on release and is always a seamless, seductive wine. The Grandes Places is a beast of a wine that demands upwards of a decade of bottle age."
