We had a wine tour here on a non-busy afternoon in August. The hostess was very friendly and accommodating on the phone and in person. English is welcome.
We arrived on time and were immediately taken into the heart of this historic winery. Apparently it was started by the area leader who also initiated the entire wine region system of France. Chateau neuf de pape is the first recognized region in all of France so the tour took on some meaning for us knowing this.
Fortia bottles their own wine, 5 varieties all red and two whites. We saw their historic aging and production areas, the guide gave meaningful information and responded to questions well.
The oak casks are fascinating as are the stacks of bottles aging in the cellar. Apparently they build and destroy the vast casks on-site as they are so huge and cost 40k euro a piece! Fascinating.
The tasting followed and was as smooth as the wine. We particularly enjoyed the traditional reds, full of flavor from the oak casks. The guide knew the region well and explained the Rhone river valley and it's relation to the winery.
We bought a number of bottles, very pleased with the day. read more