Synopsis, Our Opinion: An audacious Chennin Blanc.
Producer/Winery: Chris Brockway; Broc Cellars; Berkeley, California.
Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc.
Geographic Appellation, Region, Country: Frei Vineyard; Green Valley, Solano County; North Coast, California.
Vintage: 2016
Price: $21.60 (with a 10% mixed case discount)
Purchased From: The Caviste Wine Shop; Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Paired With: Barbecued chicken and a garden salad.
Tasting:
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Chilled before drinking. Clear, dark oat straw color. Damp earth, honeysuckle blossoms, fresh cut Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum), very ripe apples and yeast in warm water aromas. Tart, VERY lean, but a tad creamy, light to medium body and an unusual 150-grit texture. Dusty mineral, tart lemon, green apples, ripe seckel pears and honey flavors. Lots of edgy acidity that carries through and dominates the long dry, lemon finish. Excellent paired with the barbecued chicken. What to Drink with What you Eat recommends pairing barbecued chicken with Chenin Blanc (in bold type), a pairing we would not ordinarily put together; and in hindsight we would have both recommended lemon and sauteed or fried fish with this Broc Chenin Blanc. Acidity so dominates the wine that flavors were secondary and became lost and only the tart lemon came through in the finish. In the end we called it an audacious Chennin Blanc; all of Chris Brockway’s wines are unique and adventurous. Broc’s atypical California wines may not be to everyone’s liking; however, as with this Chennin Blanc, we’re very positive about all the Broc wines and continue to buy them every chance we get. With all than said, try this Chennin Blanc with an open mind…it’s an extraordinary California wine.
Photo from Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group.
Alcohol Content: 12%
Closure: Natural cork.
UPC Code: 7 00686 04642 1
Imported by: Not applicable.