WTN: Two Forlorn-Hope Wines....(short/boring)
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:58 amTried these two over the weekend:
1. Forlorn-Hope LaGitana Torrontes Calif SilvaspoonsVnyd/AltaMesa/Lodi (12.85%; 77 cs) 2012: Light yellow color; very fresh fragrant/floral/green grass/Spring morning/Easter lily some mineral/saline lovely perfumed nose; rather tart spicy/fresh/floral/lily/apple blossom light earthy/mineral/saline/fresh sea breeze bright/vibrant/zippy flavor; long somewhat tart/tangy spicy/mineral/saline/fresh sea breeze bright/floral/apple blossom slight metallic finish; a bright/alive white that pirrouttes across the palate like SwanLake (the stage version, not the Disney version); sorta like running out into the green grass in your front yard in your jammies and bare feet on Easter morning to see what the EasterBunny left you; a lovely drinking wine of a frivolous nature and not one to pontificate over. Great price at $22.00
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2. Forlorn-Hope Suspiro del Moro Alvarelho SilvaspoonsVnyd/AltaMesa/Lodi (12.05%; 347 cs) 2012: Med.dark color; very spicy/floral/plummy/almost MoscatoRosa some earthy/mushroomy/herbal/rosemary/thyme bit musky lovely aromatic nose; soft smooth/grapey/lush rather spicy/floral/plummy/light licorice almost MoscatoRosa or Marzemino/floral flavor w/ light tannins; long very floral/perfumed/rose petal some herbal/rosemary/thyme/earthy finish w/ light tannins; much like a MoscatoRosa w/o the RS, much like a Marzemino or Ruche w/o the tannic bite; a lovely frivolous red for drinking over the next yr or two; hard to tell how it will evolve; a pretty quaffer at a very good price. $22.00
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Forlorn-Hope is the operation of MattRorick, whose focus are on lesser-known grapes that are a "forlorn hope". Makes his wines from a variety of sources across NorthernCalif at the TennbrinkWnry in SuisinCity in SolanoCnty. The Torrontes is supposedly the only planting in Calif.
Alvarelhao is a minor variety in Porto from the DuoroVlly. Its largest plantings are in NorthernPortugal, particularly in the VinhoVerde region. Plantings are barely over a 100 acres. I was quite taken by this wine as a pretty/frivolous quaffer. It reminded me a lot of a MoscatoRosa from its fragrance; some of Marzemino or Ruche. It would bbe interesting to see this wine made as a frizzante wine, like a Brachetto. But good-drinking stuff it is.
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2. Lodi: Both of these wines come from Ron Silva's vnyd in the AltaMesa AVA of Lodi, on the eastern side starting up into the SierraFoothills. He has a lot of Portugese varieties planted there and all the wines I've tried from that vnyd have been first rate.
We often think of Lodi has been particularly hot (well..actually..it is) and producing only big/soft/alcholic/hot wines. It's absolutely amazing, to me, that wines of this grace and finesse can come out of Lodi. There are, actually, quite a lot of very good wines coming from Lodi these days.
Tom
1. Forlorn-Hope LaGitana Torrontes Calif SilvaspoonsVnyd/AltaMesa/Lodi (12.85%; 77 cs) 2012: Light yellow color; very fresh fragrant/floral/green grass/Spring morning/Easter lily some mineral/saline lovely perfumed nose; rather tart spicy/fresh/floral/lily/apple blossom light earthy/mineral/saline/fresh sea breeze bright/vibrant/zippy flavor; long somewhat tart/tangy spicy/mineral/saline/fresh sea breeze bright/floral/apple blossom slight metallic finish; a bright/alive white that pirrouttes across the palate like SwanLake (the stage version, not the Disney version); sorta like running out into the green grass in your front yard in your jammies and bare feet on Easter morning to see what the EasterBunny left you; a lovely drinking wine of a frivolous nature and not one to pontificate over. Great price at $22.00
______________
2. Forlorn-Hope Suspiro del Moro Alvarelho SilvaspoonsVnyd/AltaMesa/Lodi (12.05%; 347 cs) 2012: Med.dark color; very spicy/floral/plummy/almost MoscatoRosa some earthy/mushroomy/herbal/rosemary/thyme bit musky lovely aromatic nose; soft smooth/grapey/lush rather spicy/floral/plummy/light licorice almost MoscatoRosa or Marzemino/floral flavor w/ light tannins; long very floral/perfumed/rose petal some herbal/rosemary/thyme/earthy finish w/ light tannins; much like a MoscatoRosa w/o the RS, much like a Marzemino or Ruche w/o the tannic bite; a lovely frivolous red for drinking over the next yr or two; hard to tell how it will evolve; a pretty quaffer at a very good price. $22.00
__________________________
And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Forlorn-Hope is the operation of MattRorick, whose focus are on lesser-known grapes that are a "forlorn hope". Makes his wines from a variety of sources across NorthernCalif at the TennbrinkWnry in SuisinCity in SolanoCnty. The Torrontes is supposedly the only planting in Calif.
Alvarelhao is a minor variety in Porto from the DuoroVlly. Its largest plantings are in NorthernPortugal, particularly in the VinhoVerde region. Plantings are barely over a 100 acres. I was quite taken by this wine as a pretty/frivolous quaffer. It reminded me a lot of a MoscatoRosa from its fragrance; some of Marzemino or Ruche. It would bbe interesting to see this wine made as a frizzante wine, like a Brachetto. But good-drinking stuff it is.
__________________
2. Lodi: Both of these wines come from Ron Silva's vnyd in the AltaMesa AVA of Lodi, on the eastern side starting up into the SierraFoothills. He has a lot of Portugese varieties planted there and all the wines I've tried from that vnyd have been first rate.
We often think of Lodi has been particularly hot (well..actually..it is) and producing only big/soft/alcholic/hot wines. It's absolutely amazing, to me, that wines of this grace and finesse can come out of Lodi. There are, actually, quite a lot of very good wines coming from Lodi these days.
Tom