Forlorn Hope Queen of the Sierra Red 2019

Queen of the Sierra Red is a five-variety estate blend grown on Rorick Heritage Vineyard in Calaveras County, at 2,000 feet elevation just outside the town of Murphys in the Sierra Foothills. The vineyard sits on a distinctive geology: dolomite-rich limestone outcroppings beneath a top layer of decomposed schist, a combination rare in California and unusual enough that it drew winemaker Matthew Rorick to purchase the property in 2013 and convert it to organic farming. The high-altitude, continental climate means warm days and cold nights, which preserves acidity and extends the growing season.

The blend is composed of Zinfandel, Barbera, Tempranillo, Trousseau Noir, and Mondeuse — all estate fruit, all hand-harvested. Each variety was fermented separately by native yeast, with Trousseau and Mondeuse going into open-top fermenters with 100% whole-cluster inclusion and Zinfandel destemmed into a closed-top tank. All lots were pressed at dryness after 14 to 21 days on the skins, then placed into neutral 227-liter barrique.

After racking, the lots were blended and held in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. No new oak was used. Nothing was added to the must or wine — no cultured yeast, malolactic bacteria, water, tartaric acid, or enzymes — with the exception of minimal effective SO2. The result is a direct expression of limestone-grown fruit: bright cherry, dried herb, and earth with lively, food-friendly acidity and supple tannins.