Forte Fortunato No. 4 Chocolate Bar

$25.00

Pure Naçional, a rare and exotic cacao long thought to be extinct, has been discovered in a remote region of the Peruvian Andes. With its complex floral and fruit flavors, Pure Naçional dominated the world’s fine chocolate market until it was destroyed by disease in 1916. The legendary cacao was thought to be lost forever until only 23 trees were found growing in a remote Marañón River canyon with walls towering to 6,000 feet, creating a unique micro-climate that allows this cacao to thrive at previously thought to be impossible altitudes.

But most importantly, these trees produce pods with a very rare mix of white and purple beans, and in many cases, all white porcelana beans.  Stunned by this finding, samples were sent to the USDA and independent laboratories for DNA analyses.  It was the 4th of these samples that confirmed the authenticity of the genotype as the strain of cacao from which all others descend ~ that is, the mother of all cacao.

Named for the farmer who owns the isolated land where the trees grow, hand-picked Fortunato No. 4 beans must be brought to fermenting and drying areas first by foot, then by burro, to motorcycle, and finally by all terrain vehicle. After years of site visits by specialists and over eighty drying and fermenting trials, the proper processing technique for the rare porcelana beans was determined, and the beans were brought to a renowned Swiss chocolatier able to use a special, very old conching machine to grind the beans in a manner that preserves the nutty, floral, and tropical fruit of Fortunato’s terroir ~ the unique flavor profile that comes from it’s soil.

As you taste this wonderful 68% Grand Cru, attend to the layered flavors, with citrus, coffee and spice notes emerging, and especially to the lingering cocoa butter flavor that lasts well beyond that of other fine couveture chocolate. Just a handful of artisan chocolatiers worldwide have been entrusted with Fortunato No. 4, and Forte Chocolates is honored to be one of only a few chocolatiers on Earth able to bring this exceptional delicacy to you. (2 ounce bar)

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Ingredients

INGREDIENTS: Fortunato No. 4 from Legendary Cacao (Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter)

AVAILABLE: Year Round

VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, SESAME FREE, SOY FREE, NUT FREE

Made in a Facility that also Processes: Tree Nuts, Peanuts, and Egg

STORAGE: Please store at room temperature of 72˚F or less and kept away from direct heat and sunlight. We do not recommended refrigerating this product due to excessive humidity and condensation concerns

A rare Peruvian chocolate in an elegant and delectable bar…

At Forté Chocolate we are food lovers, but first and foremost we are a community of people. By focusing on those who work for us and partner with us and believe in chocolate’s innate ability to enhance lives—both as a food and an art—we generate and act on the big ideas that will evolve our industry and benefit the planet. As a women-owned company that gives back to the communities we live and work in, we embrace diversity, equity and inclusion in our business operations and actively share our knowledge to inspire the next generation of chocolatiers.

We proudly work with local producers and whole ingredient suppliers who have meticulous dedication to quality and freshness. Developing these relationships is a fundamental part of our operations and successes. We support and adhere to Direct Trade practices and ethically-sourced ingredients. Our aim is to deliver the highest quality products that are both sustainable and exceptionally flavorful.

Our team of artisan chocolatiers embody a creative mindset, carefully crafting every chocolate by hand in limited quantities using traditional techniques of tempering, pouring, enrobing, and adding the finishing touches to each truffle, caramel and specialty bar. Bringing out the flavors naturally within the chocolate is a methodical and artful process of blending distinctive ingredients, including savory elements such as honeys, and spices to produce a well-honed harmony of signature flavors — a transcendence likened to experiencing the virtuosity in a musical masterwork.

Our chocolate is hand crafted for the love of taste and beauty. Visit our Mission and Philosophy page to learn more about us or see all of our awards earned here. Enjoy!

To carry our products please visit our wholesale site.

Product Care

Chocolate and confection care varies from product to product. We have included these simple instructions to ensure your chocolates are as delicious as on the day they are made!

  • STORAGE – Optimal storage conditions should be a cool and dry place, away from scent and light. We do not recommend storing your chocolate in the refrigerator, as the chocolate will absorb any of its scents, and they will become damp with condensation
  • ENJOY BONBONS BY – Your truffle chocolates and chocolate enrobed caramels should be savored within 14 days (two weeks) of receipt for optimal freshness
  • SAVOR BARS & BARKS BY – Chocolate bars and bagged barks should be consumed by the “Enjoy By” date printed on the back of the package

 

More information can be found on our Customer Care page

Shipping

We go to great lengths to ensure that your chocolates arrive safe and sound. In addition to hand packaging your order to ensure that your chocolates are handled correctly right from the start, we check the temperatures of where your chocolates are traveling through so that your little treasures don’t arrive to you or your loved ones in a melted mess!

We pack and ship your chocolates within 1-2 business days of receiving your order (subject to inventory availability). Once your package ships, you will receive a tracking number via email. Please note, it can take up to 24 hours for your tracking number to register

Typically, Forté products are shipped through USPS®. Please enter your tracking number on the USPS tracking page to get updates on your chocolate delivery. That way you can count down the days until you can enjoy these delicious works of culinary art

More information can be found on our Customer Care page