Dipping into my last F-H order, I tried:
- Forlorn-Hope O.D.B. Trousseau Noir RorickVnyd/CalaverasCnty (107 cs; 10.72%; “Old Dirty Bastardo”) 2017: Very light red/dark rose color; strong very fragrant rose petal/floral bit smokey/smoked hot dog bit pencilly/oak quite earthy/dusty/loamy slight gamey/meaty/raw chicken meat very Jura-like fairly complex nose; light quite tart/tangy/bit lean rather floral/rose petal fairly earthy/loamy/dusty quite pretty flavor w/ light tangy tannins; very long/lingering quite tart/tangy/lean very floral/rose petal quite earthy/dusty/loamy fairly rustic strong Trousseau/Jura-like finish w/ light gritty tannins;quite a pretty very Jura-like Trousseau; needs a yr or two yet. $30.00
- Forlorn-Hope C/Ghost Mondeuse RorickVnyd/CalaverasCnty (125 cs; 12.63%; “Crimson Ghost”) 2017: Dark color; strong classic Mondeuse/herbal/rosemary/thyme slight licorice bit floral/lilacs/dark cherries bit earthy/mushroomy/ElDorado-like rather fragrant nose; quite tart/tangy rather herbal/Mondeuse/rosemary/thyme strong earthy/mushroomy/loamy/ElDorado-like light floral/lilacs fairly austere flavor w/ ample hard/rough/gritty tannins; very long strong Mondeuse/herbal/thyme fairly earthy/loamy rather rough/rustic finish w/ ample hard/rough tannins; tastes more like a Savoie Mondeuse than a MtVeeder Mondeuse; a rather hard/severe/austere Mondeuse that needs age. $32.00
A wee BloodyPulpit:
- Liked both of these reds quite a lot. Both not svelte Calif reds but rather on the rustic side.
The golden standard for Mondeuse is, of course, the Lagier-Meredith Mondeuse…a world-class expression of Mondeuse. Loaded w/ that classic MtVeeder spice and a fair smack upside the head of Fr.oak. This F-H was more along the lines of a Savoie Mondeuse, but much more structured and hard…almost severe on the palate. It reminded me a lot of the last AtlasPeak Refosco/Mondeuse made by Trinchero for CortiBros.
Tom