France · Hérault

Maison Fortant

Sète based Languedoc house with grower partnerships and Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc wines.

The producer

Maison Fortant is headquartered in Sète on the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc and works with winegrower partners across the region. The house carries four generations of family winemaking heritage and a commitment to sustainable development. Its named range includes Pinot Noir Réserve Maison Fortant, Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Nuit Maison Fortant, and Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc, with grape variety placed at the front of each wine's name.

Known for

Languedoc varietal wines

Notable facts

Fortant traces its roots to 1920 in Algeria.
The Skalli family relocated from Algeria to France in 1961.
Robert Skalli took leadership of the family business in 1974 and developed varietal wines in Languedoc.
Fortant renovated the Le Chai Collection cellars in Sète in 1990.

The story

The 1987 Label

In 1987, Robert Skalli and Jacques Gravegeal created the official Vin de Pays d'Oc label designation for French varietal wines. Gravegeal was chairman of southern France's Vins de Pays d'Oc association, and the new designation established a category for French wines labelled by grape variety. The first French single varietal wines were released under the Fortant de France brand through a partnership with regional winegrowers. Fortant de France carried the first releases.

From the atlas

Maison Fortant

Maison Fortant is a Sète house with Languedoc grower partnerships and a range built around named grape varieties.

At A Glance

Field	Detail
Place	Sète, Languedoc
Grapes	Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc
Wines	Pinot Noir Réserve Maison Fortant, Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Nuit Maison Fortant, Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc
Defining feature	Single varietal wines made through grower partnerships

The Producer

Fortant de France is one of Skalli's biggest labels. Maison Fortant is part of the Boisset group, works with winegrower partners across Languedoc, and follows a terroir focused philosophy with a commitment to sustainable development.

The bottles put grape varieties in their names. Pinot Noir Réserve Maison Fortant, Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Nuit Maison Fortant, and Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc carry the varietal direction that has defined Fortant's range since its French single varietal releases.

Place

Fortant's headquarters are in Sète, on the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc. Its partnerships with winegrowers extend across the region, while the named wines use VdP d'Oc or Pays d'Oc designations.

These regional categories sit beside the grape names on the labels. Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc remain visible as the primary markers of the three wines.

Wines

The named range includes two red wines and one white. Pinot Noir Réserve Maison Fortant is the Pinot Noir bottling, while Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Nuit Maison Fortant brings Cabernet Sauvignon into the red range. Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc is the white wine built around Sauvignon Blanc.

The two reds are 2024 bottlings, and Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc is a 2023 wine. Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Nuit contains 0.7 g/100ml of sugar, giving the bottle a clearly stated dry profile.

In The Glass

Pinot Noir Réserve Maison Fortant has a berry led profile with strawberry, wild raspberry, cherry, fresh herbs, and spice.

Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Nuit Maison Fortant is very fruity, with oak, blackcurrant, violet, blueberry, vanilla, and herbs. Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc is aromatic, fruity, and very fresh, with pear, gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf, white peach, and lime.

Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc is served at 8 to 10°C. The three wines move from berry fruit and spice through darker fruit and oak to a fresh, aromatic white profile.

A Bottle To Understand It

Pinot Noir Réserve Maison Fortant is the first bottle to open. The 2024 VdP d'Oc red is made from 100% Pinot Noir, so one grape variety and one regional designation sit in a single wine. Its label presents the grape without a second variety to account for, before the range moves to Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Final Word

Maison Fortant combines a Sète headquarters with regional winegrower partnerships and bottles that keep grape variety in the name.

Sources

1. [Fortant official website](https://www.fortant.com/en/) 2. [Fortant history](https://www.fortant.com/en/history.r-555/) 3. [Boisset Fortant page](https://www.boisset.fr/en/domaines-maisons.r-390/fortant.f-230.html) 4. [Les Vins Skalli history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesvinsskalli) 5. [Pinot Noir Réserve Maison Fortant](https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/vin/2010541/) 6. [Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Nuit Maison Fortant](https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/vin/cabernet-sauvignon-grand-nuit-259201/) 7. [Grande Nuit Sauvignon Blanc](https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/vin/7264901/)

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