2021 JuresqueTrousseau Noir + Pinot Noir

The first two vintages of the ‘Juresque’ were so delicious and disappeared so quickly that it has become clear to us that we have found a new staple of the Forlorn Hope lineup. It began with the idea of having the three most widely planted red varieties in the Jura planted at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. We’re close, but to date we have not been able to acquire Poulsard vines. So, while we continue to seek out a good source of budwood to bring Poulsard to our estate, the Juresque continues to be a blend of Trousseau and Pinot noir – and continues to be ridiculously good!

Our Trousseau vines were propagated from a clonal selection with a long history in the Sierra Foothills. Prior to Prohibition, UC Davis ran an agricultural station in the town of Jackson in which vines commonly found in the Foothills at that time were studied. The Jackson Research Station was abandoned in the 1920s; in 1989 cuttings of surviving vines were recovered and brought back to the Viticulture Department at the university. Among them was Trousseau, which we have brought back to the Foothills in our vineyard after a nearly a century-long absence from the region. 

The Pinot noir component of the Juresque is clone 115. While the Trousseau can be fairly light, this Pinot clone pairs exceptionally well with it considering the 115 clone is known for bringing structure, intensity, and refined tannins. We love the balance that these two grapes bring by playing off each other's strengths so as to create a richly layered sensory experience.

All of the grapes at Rorick Heritage Vineyard are hand-picked. The Trousseau and Pinot noir were picked on separate dates according to their ripeness, and made separately. The whole clusters of grapes received a gentle treading prior to being placed into a small open-top fermenter with 100% stem inclusion. The must received daily pigeage; after about 10 days the wine was pressed down to 227L barriques of neutral oak. The two wines were aged separately for 8 months at which time a blend was made and put back into barrel to age for an additional 2+ years.