Château Fortia Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée de Baron 2009 (6 bottles)

Château Fortia is one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Although it is named after the Marques de Fortia d'Urban, who owned the property in the 18th Century, it was most famously owned by the Le Roy family, who took control in the early 20th Century. The first was Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseumarie, who formed a local syndicate of growers who drew up regulations for the region's wines. These regulations concerned delimited area of production, controlling which vines could be planted, methods of cultivation and vinification, and compulsory grape sorting at harvest. The result of Baron Le Roy's actions was, ultimately, the creation of the Appellation Contrôlée system for all France, and Europe beyond.