The Wine: Queen of the Sierra Red 2019
Forlorn Hope Queen of the Sierra Red is a red natural wine made from a blend of Zinfandel, Barbera, Tempranillo, Trousseau noir, and Mondeuse grapes grown on on the Rorick Heritage Vineyard in Calaveras County at 2000’ elevation, featuring soils comprised of a layer of schist over dolomite-rich limestone.
Winemaker notes: "All fruit for our estate red was hand-picked; fermentation was allowed to begin spontaneously with native yeast. Most lots were fermented separately due to different pick dates. All lots were pressed at dryness, averaging 14-21 days total time on the skins, and placed into neutral 227L barrique. After racking they remained in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel until being bottled unfined and unfiltered. As with all Forlorn Hope wines, no new oak is utilized, and nothing was added to the must or wine (no cultured yeast, ML bacteria, water, tartaric acid, enzymes, nutrients, etc) with the exception of minimal effective SO2."
The Producer: Forlorn Hope Wines
At Forlorn Hope Wines, we love the longshots. We love the outsiders, the lost causes, the people/projects/ideas abandoned as not having a chance in the world. We love the little guy because we’re all about tenacity, we relish a challenge, and – we admit it – we love us a good tussle. Taken from the Dutch ‘verloren hoop’, meaning ‘lost troop’, Forlorn Hope was the name given to the band of soldiers who volunteered to lead the charge directly into enemy defenses. The chance of success for the Forlorn Hope was always slim, but the glory and rewards granted to survivors ensured no shortage of applicants. These bottles are our headlong rush into the breach. Rare creatures from the limestone slopes of Rorick Heritage Vineyard, these wines are our brave advance party, our pride and joy – our Forlorn Hope. (source: Forlorn Hope Wines)
The Region: Calaveras County