Forlorn Hope "Queen of the Sierra" Estate Red RHV
The 2015 Queen of the Sierra red estate blend was grown on the Rorick Heritage Vineyard in Calaveras County at 2000’ elevation, featuring soils comprised of a layer of schist over dolomite-rich limestone. Composed of Barbera, Trousseau noir, Tempranillo, Graciano, and Cabernet Sauvignon, 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 with compelling dynamic tension between its bright and forward fruit and the supple tannins and lively acidity that make up this wine’s backbone.
All fruit for our estate red was hand-picked; fermentation was allowed to begin spontaneously with native yeast. Each variety was fermented separately due to differing pick dates: the Barbera, Trousseau, and Graciano were each fermented in open top fermenters with 100% stem inclusion; Cabernet Sauvignon was destemmed and fermented in an open-top; the Tempranillo was destemmed and fermented in a closed-top tank. All lots were pressed at dryness, averaging 14-21 days total time on the skins, and placed into neutral 227L barrique. In the winter of 2016 the individual lots were racked and blended together; they remained in neutral oak until being bottled unfined and unfiltered in May of 2018. 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.
