Forlorn Hope Wines’ 2018 Kumo to Ame Barrel-Aged Rosé is a lively, savory, acidic barrel-aged rosé made from organically-farmed grapes sourced from the brand’s Rorick Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills. This wine isn’t your typical sleek and sexy rosé; like its winemaker, Matthew Rorick, it has two full-sleeves of tats and a gnarly rebel yell.
,Forlorn Hope’s Kumo to Ame wine is a total ,glou glou wine – apologies if you absolutely hate that phrase. While this bottle is technically an aged-rosé, it also has the qualities and characteristics that whispers: if you like orange wines, then you will like me too, you wine lover, you!
What gives Kumo to Ame orange wine vibes isn’t just that coppery color, there’s a lot of texture on the palate too.
What You Need to Know About Forlorn Hope Wines
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- Forlorn Hope wines are low alcohol wines; bottles hover between 10.5 – 12% ABV
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- Embraces unusual, rare grape varieties
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- Rorick uses only native yeasts
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- Fermentation happens in the bottle
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- No new-oak barrels are used
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- The wines are chemical free; the grapes are organically-grown
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- Most wines use sulfur as a preservative – the most minimal amount is used
Who Will Like This Wine
My litmus test for whether or not a wine is accessible to the “average” sipper, whatever that means, is whether or not my mom from Minnesota would enjoy it. Well, she just happened to be visiting when I opened this bottle, and she took one sip, and do you know what she said, unprompted, mind you: this is really good.
So there you have it. Forlorn Hope’s Kumo to Ame wines will please your cool wine friends, your parents, that aunt who always drinks too much at family gatherings, and everyone in between.
Who Owns Forlorn Hope Wines?
Winemaker Matthew Rorick created Forlorn Hope Wines in 2005 after a motley array of former jobs including: skateboarder, repairer of submarine telescopes, and electric guitar builder.
Rorick received his formal wine training at UC Davis and honed his chops working at wineries around the world. In addition to stints at Chasseur, Peter Michael, and Miura Vineyards, he also gained experience in landscapes as varied as New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile.
While his wine knowledge came via “real world” experience, Rorick’s passion for wine, and its ability to connect people, came from afternoons and evenings spent with his grandfather, a prolific storyteller.
Rorick Heritage Vineyard
Rorick Heritage Vineyard is located in the Sierra Foothills AVA, and is the estate vineyard of Forlorn Hope Wines. This 75 acre vineyard started its transition to organic farming when Matthew purchased the land in 2013.
Forlorn Hope recently started having bottle pick-up days filled with sun, food, and fun at the vineyard. Follow them on Instagram for the next pick-up party. The inaugural pick-up party happened in June 2023, so mark your calendar for next year.
Forlorn Hope Rare Creatures
The brand’s ‘Rare Creatures’ wines are just that, limited production releases made from a litany of unusual grape varieties grown at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. Previous vintages have included: ,California Riesling, Mourvedre, skin-fermented Pinot Gris, a Gamay & Garganega blend, ,Vermentino, ,Picpoul, and Mondeuse.
Queen of the Sierra, a juicy rosé wine whose blend changes each vintage, appears to be the winery’s most popular bottle. This bottle is available mostly via retail distribution, but occasionally pops up on the brand’s website.
The best way to receive all of the Rare Creatures: the bottles that don’t get released to the public, is through the Forlorn Hope Wine Club. That’s how I snagged this 2018 Kumo to Ame.
What is Barrel-Aged Rosé?
Most rosé wine is produced in tanks to preserve that steely, acidic, refreshing profile that we all love. Barrel-aged rosé is aged in oak barrels to add texture and complexity to the wine. These barrels can be new oak or neutral oak. Extended aging in the barrel gives the rosé a profile that falls somewhere between an orange wine and those “clean” crisp rosé characteristics we typically associate with a good rosé.
This wine definitely is a contender for the ,orange wine vs rosé conversation.
Tasting Notes
Matthew Rorick has described previous vintages of Kumo to Ame as “Savory and feral, sleek and acid-driven, that pair with just about any food,” and the 2018 bottling is no exception.
The first thing you notice about this wine is the texture, and ever-so-slight weight on the palate. It kind of makes you want to hold onto that first sip a little longer than a bottle of rosé that is just straight dry, acidic and stainless steel refreshing. It’s like opening up a cool used book and seeing a little inscription from the previous owner scribbled on the margin. It’s something that makes you go, hmmm.
On the palate the wine is a touch creamy, with citrus pith, a sneaky little streak of salinity, and a touch of strawberry. The acidity is balanced on one side of the scale, and the savoriness hangs on the other. This is one of the qualities that has me likening it to an orange wine.
This is a limited production wine
As I mentioned earlier, this bottle was part of Forlorn Hope’s Wine Club shipment, one of their ultra Rare Creatures. I really wish I’d been able to get my hands on another bottle, because this is a great wine.
Rorick doesn’t make this wine every vintage, so if you see a bottle grab it. It’s certainly ready to drink now, but don’t be afraid to place it on one of those “lower level” shelves in your wine fridge, somewhere where it won’t have time to age just a bit longer. The 2018 vintage sat in the bottle for 5 years when I opened it in 2023.
Forlorn Hope’s Tasting Room, Downtown Napa
If you’ve been hanging around in the ether of this wine blog, then you know my tastes do not swing in the direction of downtown Napa’s over-hyped, super commercial, tourist trap tasting rooms. There are a few spots I know I can get the style of wine I like, and Forlorn Hope’s Tasting Room in downtown Napa was one such place.
Sadly, Outland Wines, which was home to Forlorn Hope, Poe Wines, and Farella Wines, has shut down. Forlorn Hope’s tasting room situation appears to be in a bit of limbo. Once It’s clear where their tasting room is located, this blog will be updated.