TN; 2015 Forlorn Hope Trousseau Rorick Vineyard, Calaveras County; practically right off the truck, shockingly pale orange, reticent on the nose and I’ll be damned if I can describe it-maybe some watermelon rind and sea coral? One thing I can tell you is that I would not pick it out blind as similar to Trousseau from the Jura. Things were rough and jumbled for the first half hour and then with more air time settled down into one unusual taste profile-it kind of enters the mouth and then does a screwy 90 degree turn on the tongue and brain and taste receptors-you think it is going to go one way and it instead goes another-there’s a soft entry and then a sensation of slight saltiness/brine and then a little wave of sweetness and then acidity followed by fine tannins. The fruit is very subtle and along the lines of watermelon-rhubarb. It’s very low alcohol, easy to drink and fun. I have no clue how it will progress with time. Right now it seems to lack the intensity and piercing aromatics of top Trousseau from the Jura, but I am still happy to have bought six.
Mitch,
Long time . . .
I’ve not had this wine but am captivated by your description. Some early Tissot trousseau’s were similar and they got me hooked on the grape. If I were betting, I’d say this needs a year or two to integrate and deliver a complete wine. But it sounds cool now.
Thanks for the note.
Best, Jim
Hey/Hey/Hey, Mitch…what’s the idea of scooping ole TomHill on this wine??? I almost cracked that very wine last night.
Of course, mine would be the definitive TN!!!
Matt is very excited for this wine. I’ll probably, given your (less than definitive) TN, hold off on mine for a few months.
Will have dinner up in Napa w/ Matt in a few weeks. I may harvest a Jura one to shere w/ him.
Tom
Jim;
I’m honored to see your post. I need to check out your wines. Seriously.
Tom, sir, sorry. I anxiously await your definitive TN complete with that unique TH style of yours which seems to involve associations in free form invented by Jack Kerouac. I have one bottle of Sandlands Trousseau (all I was allotted) and I would love to see how that one is too but given it’s uniqueness in my cellar, will wait a year or so.