2016 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee du Baron 750 ml

A Piece of Châteauneuf-du-Pape History

If you want a wine whose elegant character is built on centuries of careful cultivation, this terrifically priced Châteauneuf-du-Pape is for you.

Today’s stunning Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from one of the most treasured properties in the Southern Rhône, where gnarled old vines reach skyward from a sea of smooth, stones that give the wine its signature power. Showing opulence and structure in equal measure, this is the kind of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that will appeal to both old-school traditionalists and New World maximalists.

Just $45 for a glossy, robust red from one of the iconic wineries of Southern Rhône, and a 94-point stunner from Rhône authority Jeb Dunnuck. Dunnuck raved about the 2016 Château Fortia Cuvée du Baron, calling it “elegant and weightless on the palate” with “rocking aromas”—in short, “the finest example of this cuvée since the 2003”!

Boasting spicy black fruit, alluring purple florals and herbs de Provence notes, it hits all the marks of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s 2016 dream vintage. One of just three cuvées from Chateau Fortia, the Cuvée de Baron’s traditional make-up has made it a new classic among collectors and bargain-hunters.

The legacy of Chateau Fortia—“one of the most historically important estates of the appellation,” says Robert Parker—is deeply intertwined with the history of the region itself. The estate began as a farm in the 17th century—making even icons like the La Vieux Télégraphe look young—and 200 years later, Paul Antoine de Fortia established a proper vineyard from the vines and new buildings.

Then in 1929, chateau owner Baron Pierre Leroy helped Châteauneuf-du-Pape become the first area in France to boast strict winemaking regulations, inspiring the system which would regulate all French wine regions in 1936. Hence why it is considered today “one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most fabled domaines” by Vinous and other critics—a proud standard bearer by which each vintage can be evaluated. Loyal to centuries of tradition, this is not an estate to blow in the winds of the day’s trends.

But even the most august and wizened vinegrowers had to be surprised at how beautifully the 2016 vintage played out here, going beyond even the wildest expectations winemakers might have had after 2015—considered by some the best of CdP in a long while. In fact, “in many cases the wines from this uniformly outstanding warm year actually outclass–or at least outmuscle–their older siblings,” wrote Vinous of Southern Rhône’s 2016. Growing season conditions were near-perfect throughout, with cool summer nights lending vital aid to preserving freshness and allowing acidity to keep pace with fast-growing ripeness and concentration. All the lushness and vibrancy that typified the vintage is generously present in this bottle.