This post isn’t necessarily about the 2010 Forlorn Hope Que Saudade Verdelho, it is an extremely small production wine, 527 cases, that was released a couple of years ago (there are newer vintages available). This is a wine a found at a clearance/end of bin sale, when it was first released it sold for $20 to $25, but I found it for $3.99. A single vineyard, boutique wine, from a noted winemaker, selling for 2Buck Chuck prices. This is the time of year (and into January) where some wines hit the clearance bin and if you are fast and lucky, there are huge bargains to be had. It is worth stopping by your favorite wine shop early and often, because the best deals do not last long.
The 2010 Forlorn Hope Que Saudade (translates to “That longing”) Verdelho is one of winemakers, Matthew Rorick, Another Rare Creature line of small production wines, in this instance 527 cases were produced (there are 25 cases of wine in every barrel), from grapes grown at the Dewitt Vineyard in Amador County, California. Amador County is east of Sacramento and is best known for its very old Zinfandel vineyards. Verdelho is a Portuguese grape used in the making of Madeira and isn’t widely grown in California. The Que Saudade is hand made in a way large production wine never can be and only old used barrels are used in the fermentation and aging process. The alcohol content is 14.1%.
The color is a bright, shiny, almost clear, golden yellow. The nose is a mellow mix of melon and citrus, with a floral edge and a touch of butter. This Verdelho has a silky mouthfeel and distinct, delicate flavors. It starts with green apple, fig and herbs. The mid palate shows melon and lime. The acidity gives the Que Saudade some impressive length and the finish tingles in your mouth and lasts forever, maybe.
The 2010 Forlorn Hope Que Saudade Verdelho is the best $3.99 wine I have ever tasted, I am joking, of course, but I only paid 4 bucks for it and it is really, really good. It rocks at $24, at $4 bucks it is legendary. At 527 cases available upon release a couple of years ago, I don’t expect you to be able to find it (I found it at Cardinal Liquors, Palatine, Illinois and there were some bottles left as of last sunday). Hopefully, this gives you the inspiration to find your own “end of bin/clearance” treasures. I once found a $60 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir selling for $15, there are and will be gems available out there, happy hunting.
