It's a Forlorn Hope and Ezio Cerruti Delivered to Your Door!
Good morning from the midst of Spring,
with a green that almost hurts the eyes,
obscuring bones again,
fleshing out a world draped in verdant splendor . . .
Let's talk about this week's offering, so named because it is eponymous to these two most amazing of producers:
Ezio Cerruti & Forlorn Hope Wines
The definition of Forlorn Hope:
"A persistent or desparate hope that is unlikely to be fulfilled . . ."
Poetic indeed, and doesn't it hum in one's soul, when we consider the state of being extant in the world? It seems a key to a door that is opened within us, giving access to the most profound intuitions that we have; those that remain unnamed because to attempt to name them, takes away from their potency; it seems to me that this is the purpose of poetry: to set free images within ourselves that in and of themselves are unknowable in our conventional definition of "knowing". It is our access to the infinite.
FUCK YES! TO FORLORN HOPE
And with that, on to the wines:
Ezio Cerruti's beautiful interpretation of the Muscat grape, embodied in his Petillant Naturel wine, RiFol, Castiglione Tinella- $21.
This is a dry Moscato coming from the heart of the Moscato d'Asti zone, which most of us know as a lightly sparkling, sweet aperitif of a wine. Not so this one! It is bone dry, fragrant and almost salty. Bubbles playfully finger your tongue as they dance across the palate. It is a beautiful start and accompaniment to a meal or party amongst your most cherished companions . . . naturally made, with a bit of cloud fluff sitting at the bottom of the bottle. I bought as much of this, which amounted to about 8 cases.
I had the good fortune of visiting with Ezio at his small and impeccable property a few years ago (pictured above). Muscat is all he does! In the hands of a fanatic, one sees the potential of the grape, in the same way we sometimes see it in Alsace.
Forlorn Hope:
#2 Queen of the Sierra Rosé 2020, Rorick Heritage Vineyard, Calaveras County- $24
This is a blend Tempranillo, Grenache, and Zinfandel, coming from the Sierra Foothills. Beautifully unfuctwith in every way and perfect as we move into summer! There is the familiar opacity of an unfiltered wine that offers an extra richness to the palate, yet the fruit is fresh and forward. This was the first of the Forlorn Hope wines that I tasted with my friend Ari of Bianco Rosso and I was immediately turned on and so, had to taste through the line-up and it became apparent that these wines would have to be the focus of this feature! Talk about wines that are vibrant on the palate, that wake you up. that give pause and demand attention . . . every one of the offerings did this for me, each in their way.
#3 Queen of the Sierra Red 2018, Rorick Heritage Vineyard, Calaveras County- $24
A blend of Zinfandel, Barbera, Mondeuse, and Trousseau! WOW! I'm putting these in the order in which I tasted them, as much because each one blew me away more than the one before, and that's not to detract from the fact that these are all fantastic. At first, although darker, the red had a familiar fruitiness at the start, not unlike the rosé, but then, as it passed down the back of my throat, it left a trail of tannin that whispered . . . YES! Whole cluster fruit, vinified by varietal, in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak barrel, blended at bottling.
#4 Another Rare Creature, ODB Trousseau Noir 2019, Rorick Heritage Vineyard, Calaveras County- $38
These next two cuvées are part of the "Another Rare Creature" series in the Forlorn line-up, this cuvée comes from vine cuttings propagated at UC Davis, that had been found from some 1920s prohibition era vines. What an amazing wine from eye to mouth, via the nose!!! Light and translucent, it reminded me of the Picola Nera I featured in an offering last year. Looking innocent enough, with its glowing pink and amber clarity and yes, CHILL THIS DOWN, the wine is lovely and can be enjoyed as an entity unto itself, and can stand up to anything, culinary you might like to pair. Seriously! The wine has grip, belying its appearance.
#5 Another Rare Creature, Chenin Blanc 2018- $40
I COULD CURATE AN ENTIRE WINE LIST OF CHENIN BLANC! That's how much I love this grape and how nuanced I believe it can be and yet, retain its' Chenin Blanc-ness. From Eben Sadie in Swartland, To Joel Pithon in Saumur, Francois Pinon in Vouvray(rip), Erica Orr in Yakima Valley, to this amazing, brilliant expression of the grape out of the Sierra Foothills and all of them between....CHENIN BLANC RULES!!! Need I say more? Well, some of the images that come to mind with this wine are, the soft silver bottoms of leaves being blown in a breeze portenting a coming storm; the buzz of honey bees on wild fennel growing along the roadside, the golden hued, slightly brassy looking nectar that sits now beside me in the glass, that I am about to imbibe, yes! Chenin Blanc Rules!
Please get in touch with me here: Cantina Sauvage
Four bottles or more, will bring me to your door.
With much love,
Marc