Res Fortes 'Brave' Côtes du Roussillon 2017

Brave is the name of this wine, and the customer daring enough to shed 70 quid on a bottle of red from a region not renowned for steep price tags...

Those brave enough will surely be rewarded. The fruit for this Côtes du Roussillon Villages wine is grown in a single vineyard of 120-year-old vines on the highest and steepest north facing vineyard in Maury overlooking the Agly valley. The slightly cooler temperature in the vineyard lets the fruit grow at a slower pace, creating concentrated berries that produce a wine of intensity, complexity and elegance.

This 100% Grenache Noir is only picked in selected years to meet the quality level for Brave wine. Once harvested this wine is aged in 4-year-old 400L barrels for 18 months. Only 350 bottles were produced. Drinking well in it's youth (decanting is recommended), but will benefit for 10 years+ of ageing.

Winemaker and owner of Res Fortes, Moritz Bak, found his love of wine at a young age, visiting his Grandfather (a keen consumer, we are told) in the south of France. Having then travelled extensively and worked as a winemaker at some pretty famous addresses, Moritz settled on Roussillon to begin his own winemaking venture in 2014 making modern, elegant wines from the toughest terrain. Having carefully selected and nurtured his vines, he produced his first vintage in 2014. Acclaim and awards soon followed.