Forlorn Hope "Queen of the Sierra Rosé" California 2022

FROM FORLORN HOPE:

THE WINE: The 2022 Queen of the Sierra rosé was grown on the Rorick estate vineyard in Calaveras County at 2000’ elevation, featuring soils comprised of a layer of schist over dolomite-rich limestone. Composed primarily of Mondeuse and Zinfandel, with cameos from Tempranillo, Grenache noir, and Barbera, the wine shows all of the aromatic complexity and textural presence that are the hallmarks of wines grown on the limestone of our estate. It presents a wonderful dynamic tension between an entry that displays a hint of roundness and the bright, electric acidity that makes up this wine’s backbone.

The fruit was hand-picked and whole-cluster pressed into stainless steel; fermentation was allowed to begin spontaneously with native yeast. The ferment proceeded with vigor and enthusiasm, and was completed in December following the harvest. We assembled all of the component wines in January 2023, and it was bottled unfined and unfiltered in February 2023. 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: The Queen of the Sierra wines are a celebration of the steep limestone and schist slopes of Rorick Heritage Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills.

Made from 100% Estate grown fruit, they are organically farmed, hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented by native yeasts, unfiltered and unfined, with nothing added but minimal effective sulfur. These are honest and pure California estate wines made with soul that are approachable in price as well as in the glass.