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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.

Scroll down to see who brings them into your state and country! Check your local bottle shops and restaurants and ask if they have the Queens.

Queen of the Sierra Rosé

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.



Queen of the Sierra Amber

Queen of the Sierra Amber

The 2023 Queen of the Sierra Amber Estate blend was organically 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 primarily of Verdelho, Albariño, Muscat, and Chardonnay, this beautifully nuanced and irreverently elegant wine shows all of the aromatic complexity and textural presence that are the hallmarks of wines grown on the limestone of our estate.

All fruit for our estate amber blend is hand-picked; fermentation occurred in open top vessels with some fruit being destemmed and some left whole bunch. For the most part we tried to minimize oxidization during cap management, with one punchdown or pumpover per day the typical regimen. We did include a few experimental lots that received different treatment: Vermentino fermented in egg and left there sealed and untouched for four months after which it was drained down to barrel, and a ton of Muscat fermented carbonically. Once removed from their fermentation vessels the ferments were put down to neutral 227L barrique or blended together in stainless, and remained there 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.

Queen of the Sierra Wine

Queen of the Sierra White

Queen of the Sierra white 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 primarily of Chardonnay, Verdelho, and Muscat, the wine shows all of the aromatic complexity and textural presence that are the hallmarks of wines grown on the limestone of our estate.

All fruit for our estate white blend was hand-picked. Most lots were fermented separately due to different pick dates. Individual lots were racked and blended together; they remained in neutral oak or steel tank 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.

Queen of the Sierra Red

Queen of the Sierra Red

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 primarily of Zinfandel, Barbera, Tempranillo, Trousseau noir, and Mondeuse, the Queen 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. 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.

Queen of the Sierra Co-Ferment

What’s the big idea with a co-ferment? At RHV, we love the aromatic exuberance we find in our white varieties, and the reds can bring a bounty of bright fruit flavors to the wines they produce. So why not put those things together?? You end up with the best of both worlds – the co-ferment stands in the ground between red, white, and rosé. It’s eminently chillable because it has lighter tannins than a regular red, it’s got more flavor and aroma than a rosé by virtue of its longer skin contact, and it has all the savory tang of the limestone soils and cold nights here at RHV. So how did we do it? We picked reds, we picked whites, and we put them in the fermenter together to get the party started. As it happened, varieties from similar historical regions paired up for picking time: Albariño and Tempranillo hit it together, as did Barbera and Vermentino, Chenin blanc and Pineau d’Aunis, Trousseau and Chardonnay, and (let’s hear it for 1880s California!) Zinfandel and Verdelho. We pressed the ferments somewhere between halfway dry and all the way dry, depending on how they tasted and how grippy they were, and then the wines were put down to neutral 227L barrique or blended together in stainless. The ‘23 Queen Co-Ferment was bottled unfined and unfiltered at the end of May 2024. 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.

For all wholesale requests, please contact one of our Distribution Partners:


United States

Arkansas - De Nux Distributors

California - Revel Wine

Colorado - Benny and Zoid Selections

Georgia - Avant Partir

Illinois - Lagniappe Beverage

Louisiana - Select Wines

Maine - Devenish

Massachusetts - Olmstead Wine Co.

Michigan - Midwest Wine Exchange

Minnesota - Tradition Wine + Spirits

Missouri - A. Bommarito Wines

New York / New Jersey / Connecticut / Pennsylvania - T. Edward Wines

Nevada - Novel Wines

North Carolina - Proof Wine + Spirits

Oregon - PDX Wine

Rhode Island - Vineyard Road

South Carolina - Advintage Distributing

Tennessee - Advintage Distributing

Texas - Rootstock Wines

Utah - Flora/Fauna Wines

Vermont - VT Wine Merchants

Virginia / Maryland / D.C. - Free Run Wine Merchants

Washington - Bianco-Rosso Imports

Wisconsin - Chromatic Wine Co.

U.S. Virgin Islands - Caribbean Wine Club


World

Australia - High Hopes

Belgium - Swaffou

Quebec - Les Vieux Garçons

Ontario - Grape Witch Imports

Netherlands - Vanilla Venture

United Kingdom - Roberson Wine