Forlorn Hope 2019 "San Hercurmer Delle Frecce" Estate Barbera Sierra Foothills

• BLEND  100% Barbera
• REGION  Sierra Foothills
• APPELLATION  Calaveras County
• VINEYARD  Rorick Heritage Vineyard
• SOIL  Limestone and shist
• FARMING METHOD  Organic

"The mini-donkey returns! Barbera has always been evocative of donkeys for me -- in Piemonte, Nebbiolo is the show pony everyone fawns over, but Barbera is the loyal, hard-working donkey that tills the fields and hauls the produce to market. Stubborn, yes, but with a big heart, and never flighty. Some years ago I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a mini-donkey named Hercurmer who lives in Fiddletown, and after he was shot with a pair of arrows (not fatally, thank goodness) by some miscreant I decided to canonize him and make him the patron saint of our Forlorn Hope Barbera. Saint Hercurmer of the Arrows -- ever your loyal companion."

 – winemaker's notes

Taken from the Dutch "verloren hoop", meaning "lost troop", Forlorn Hope was the name given to the band of soldiers who volunteered to lead the charge directly into enemy defenses. The chance of success for the Forlorn Hope was always slim, but the glory and rewards granted to survivors ensured no shortage of applicants.

These bottles, the first produced by Matthew Rorick Wines, were our headlong rush into the breach. Rare creatures from appellations unknown and varieties uncommon, these wines are our brave advance party, our pride and joy – our Forlorn Hope.

Matthew Rorick found his passion for food and wine at his grandfather's table, where the elder Rorick's love of sharing a bottle, a meal, and good conversation inspired his career in winemaking.

After receiving his degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis, Matthew worked on a diverse number of winemaking projects including collaborations with wineries in New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile, as well as with Peter Michael Winery, Chasseur, and Miura Vineyards in California, among others. The broad array of different winemaking and grape growing techniques and philosophies he encountered provided a unique practical counterpoint to the theory he learned at University and flavor his current direction in the winery.

Taking his cues from the stones and soil, he endeavors to interrupt the natural development of each of his wines as little as possible in order that the character and uniqueness of each vineyard site may take center stage.