Broc Cellars, Chris Brockway, Berkeley, California
AOC: Works with many vineyards in Solano County, Medocino County, Paso Robles, Madera County, Suisun Valley, and more.
Varieties: Virtually anything besides Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Viticulture: Organic (some vineyards certified)
Size: A tiny warehouse in Berkeley
Production: Around 20,000 cases per year
Terroir: Sand, Clay, Loam, Volcanic, and many variations of these
Varieties: Virtually anything besides Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Viticulture: Organic (some vineyards certified)
Size: A tiny warehouse in Berkeley
Production: Around 20,000 cases per year
Terroir: Sand, Clay, Loam, Volcanic, and many variations of these
Chris Brockway came to call Berkeley home (for his cellar anyways) by way of Omaha, Nebraska, where he was born and raised, Seattle, and finally Los Angeles, with a couple short stops in between. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, he began working in restaurants around the city before decamping to the Pacific Northwest, where he ultimately became interested in wine. After a friend joked that he should learn how to actually make it, he packed his things and enrolled in winemaking courses at UC Davis. Before finishing, he made the move to Cal State Fresno, which has its own functioning winery, and this is where he became an expert, as he says, in everything he does not use.
He finished his studies and quickly landed a job at JC Cellars, by all means a conventional winery. At the same time he began to frequent Terroir, San Francisco’s first natural wine bar, and began to think a lot about experimenting with the wines he liked to drink. And so, with a few small experiments, Broc Cellars was born.
His facility comprises two warehouses, one with multiple stainless steel, concrete, and wooden tanks, the other a dedicated barrel and concrete egg room. All fermentations are done with native yeasts, and for the most part he forgoes the use of sulfur. If needed, he will add a few milligrams about four weeks before bottling so that it fully integrates into the wine.
He finished his studies and quickly landed a job at JC Cellars, by all means a conventional winery. At the same time he began to frequent Terroir, San Francisco’s first natural wine bar, and began to think a lot about experimenting with the wines he liked to drink. And so, with a few small experiments, Broc Cellars was born.
His facility comprises two warehouses, one with multiple stainless steel, concrete, and wooden tanks, the other a dedicated barrel and concrete egg room. All fermentations are done with native yeasts, and for the most part he forgoes the use of sulfur. If needed, he will add a few milligrams about four weeks before bottling so that it fully integrates into the wine.
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Broc Cellars Sparkling Chenin Blanc
Pétillant naturel Chenin from the Shell Creek Vineyard. Sandy topsoil and fossilized seashells underneath. Four months on the lees before disgorgement by hand, zero dosage.
Broc Cellars Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc from Solano County’s Green Valley, vines planted in the 1960s. Fermented and aged in 600L foudre, with a bit of SO2 at bottling.
Broc Cellars Paso Robles Chenin Blanc
From the Shell Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, vines planted in 1972, sandy soils with fossilized seashells underneath. It is pressed into a combination of 500L Stockinger foudre and neutral barrique for fermentation, before racking and élevage in neutral barrique for nine months.
Broc Cellars Carbonic Carignan
Carignan from 130+-year-old vines in Alexander Valley, along with Alicante Bouschet, Zinfandel, and Palomino. True carbonic maceration in concrete tanks, eight months élevage in concrete and neutral barrique before bottling. Deep and savory, yet lifted.
Broc Cellars Vine Starr Zinfandel
From two distinct parcels, one in Sonoma Valley, the other in the Russian River Valley, both planted on volcanic soils. De-stemmed and fermented in a combination of stainless steel and concrete tank; aged in neutral barrique for 10 months before bottling. A serious bottle of Zinfandel that exudes freshness and balance.
Broc Cellars Counoise
Counoise from vines planted on Eagle Point Ranch (now certified organic) at 2000ft in elevation. Fermented in tank, then racked to neutral barrique for one year before bottling. One year of aging in bottle before release.
Broc Cellars Cuvée 11.9 2014
Syrah vines planted in 2000 in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Partial carbonic maceration in tank.
Broc Cellars Whole Cluster Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc from Happy Canyon, the warmest AVA in Santa Barbara. Clay and loam soils at 500-1000ft in elevation. Whole clusters go into open-top, 5 ton wooden vats, and grapes are tread by foot in the morning with a gentle pumpover at night. Then racked to stainless, before élevage in neutral barrique for eight months.
Broc Cellars Valdiguié Wirth Vineyard
Single-vineyard Valdigué from the steep, iron-rich Wirth Vineyard in Solano County. Vines were planted in 1950. Darker, more concentrated fruit.
Broc Cellars Valdiguié
Called Napa Gamay for the longest time, it wasn’t until a lab test revealed it’s true identity. 60+-year-old vines in both Frei (acidic soils) and Wirth Vineyard (steep, iron-rich slopes) in Solano County’s Green Valley, just southeast of Napa. Partial carbonic maceration in tank.
Broc Cellars Love Red
50 to 70 year-old Carignan, Syrah, and Valdiguié vines from Green Valley in Solano County. Clay and loam soils. Carignan and Syrah are destemmed and fermented in stainless steel, while the Valdiguié undergoes carbonic maceration, also in stainless. Aged separately for eight months in neutral barrique before blending in tank before bottling. Perfect for case stacking and BTG.
Broc Cellars Nero d'Avola
Nero d’Avola is a rare find in California these days, and this one pays homage to the classic wines of Sicily. From Fox Hill Vineyard in Mendocino, 100% destemmed. Fermented in clay vessels lined with beeswax. Pressed after fermentation and aged in a combination of clay and neutral French oak for 8 months.
Broc Cellars Arrowhead Mtn. Zinfandel
Sourced entirely from the Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard in the Russian River Valley and vinified similarly to the Vine Starr Zinfandel. Very small quantities of this wine were made.
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