Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter
Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free
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 #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)
Most people eat their Forte Chocolates right away and some want to store them for later. For all of our chocolate connoisseurs, we created a set of guidelines to help you enjoy our chocolates. For any questions you may have, please contact us. We handcraft our chocolates daily in small batches from the finest, freshest, and all natural ingredients.
To fully appreciate the quality and flavour please enjoy our chocolates within the timeframe listed below whenever possible. The chocolates are most often still good for much longer than these listed times, but we do not recommend having them after their enjoy by date listed on the package as the flavour and quality may suffer:
- -Always store chocolate out of direct sunlight in a cool dry environment between 64° and 68°F.
- -If stored in temperatures higher than that, the chocolate may begin to soften, compromising the appearance, texture, and flavour profile.
- -Keep chocolate away from sources of strong odours as it absorbs the odours of food and other strong smelling products around them.
- -Frozen chocolate will maintain its freshness up to 6 months. If freezing, put them in an airtight bag then wrap tightly in several layers of foil. Defrost by placing in the fridge for 24 hours then move to room temperature.
- -Please do not store chocolates in the refrigerator as they will pick up scents (onion, meat, veggies etc.) and may bloom (develop a whitish appearance).
Truffles – within 1 month or enjoy by date
Caramels – within 2 months or enjoy by date
Hot Cocoas – within 3 months or enjoy by date
Chocolate Bars – within 6 months or enjoy by date
Barks – within 6 months or enjoy by date
All chocolates do not get better by age, so enjoy sooner rather than later!
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); all orders received after 1pm PST will not ship until the following business day, at the earliest. All orders are shipped Monday-Thursday for 98xxx zip codes and Monday-Wednesday for the rest of the nation. USPS is our preferred shipping vendor and delivery days and transit times are set per their guidelines.
To protect the quality of your chocolate, we may hold your package for shipping until the following Monday to ensure minimal time in transit. We do not ship orders on Friday or where they would sit in a USPS warehouse over the weekend. Some exceptions apply. Packages shipped via Priority Mail are generally in transit for 1 to 3 business days based upon the destination and carrier volume.
USPS has permission to leave packages at the recipient’s address if no one is there to sign for it. Forte Chocolates is NOT responsible for packages stolen or damaged after they are delivered to the address specified by the customer. We suggest shipping to a daytime/business location when possible. We cannot be held responsible for delays due to weather, incorrect address provided to us or other circumstances beyond our control.
Post Office Boxes Or APO Boxes
Yes, we can ship to PO Boxes.
International Shipping
Please contact us if you are interested in shipping to an International destination. Additional shipping charges will apply. info@fortechocolates.com
Local Pickup
If you would prefer to pick up your package in one of our retail stores, please write that in the notes section of your order. We will have your order ready for pickup during regular business hours within 24 horus of placing your order (subject to inventory availability).
Tracking Your Order
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.