ORIGIN: Spurred on by our unyielding commitment to quality and innovation, a vision emerged in 2003 to produce a wine that would embody the absolute best our estate vineyards have to offer. Winemaker Stacy Clark has turned this vision into reality and created FORTIS, an ultra-reserve red wine, by carefully constructing a tête de cuvée from those vineyard blocks and sub-blocks that emerge as standouts from the vintage, regardless of varietal or appellation. No parameters have been set, and no boundaries established.

VINEYARD: When crafting a wine of this caliber, the process begins long before vinification. With over 225 acres of estate vineyards in five different Napa Valley appellations, our dedicated vineyard teams ensure that each block is given the utmost attention year-round. Through dense plantings, meticulous pruning and canopy management, and careful hand-harvesting at night, each 25-pound bin of fruit arrives at the winery in pristine condition. The appellation composition of FORTIS will vary year-to-year according to each region's performance throughout the vintage. Fruit for the 2003 FORTIS is a selection of 43% Stags Leap District, 31% Rutherford, 21% Howell Mountain and 5% Oakville. 

WINEMAKING: The FORTIS blending process represents a series of intense, exhaustive evaluations by Winemaker Stacy Clark. After undergoing malolactic fermentation, individual lots are selected for their unparalleled flavor, structure and weight. Subsequent evaluations narrow the field, revealing the crème de la crème of the vintage. Aged in 75% new French oak barrels for 16 months, this wine is a bold reflection of our talented winemaker's crowning achievement.

TASTING NOTES: The 2003 FORTIS opens with a flood of ripe, concentrated blueberry and currant aromas, opulently layered with bitter chocolate, caramel, white peppercorn and bay leaf. The firm, yet silky texture of this voluminous blend boasts intense flavors of dried cherry and red berry, with beautifully integrated tannins. The finish exhibits stunning length, punctuated by a profile of ripe berry, cocoa and smoke. This wine may be enjoyed now or cellared for 10-15 years.

This vintage produced 638 cases, and this wine is available only through Pine Ridge.

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