As the interest in natural wines continues on, our staff found 4 wines that we love…and not just for the care taken in their production, but for being delicious.
Natural Wines to Try
Posted on May 28th 2020
Noelle Starr
As the interest in natural wines continues on, our staff found 4 wines that we love…and not just for the care taken in their production, but for being delicious.
BROC CELLARS
At Broc Cellars, all wines are made using spontaneous fermentation, a process that means using only native yeasts and bacteria that exist on the grapes in order to make wine. They don’t add anything – this includes nutrients, yeast, bacteria, enzymes, tannins or other popular fermentation agents. Sulfur is a naturally occurring element in all wine, the amount found can vary. Broc Cellars will add little to no S02, depending on the wine and style.
Try: Broc Cellars 2018 Love White Blend (Madera Foothills, CA)
38% Marsanne, 28% Rousanne, 17% Grenache Blanc, 12% Picpoul.
Winemaker's Notes: “The grapes were harvested during the third week of August to help preserve the grape’s natural acidity. The grapes were co-fermented and aged in a combination of a 5-year-old 25hL Hungarian oval cask, 60gal barriques, 150gal puncheons, and 20-year-old 660gal German ovals for 8 months with no S02. Malolactic fermentation was allowed to happen naturally. Grapes for the Love White come from our friend Oscar Ramos’ vineyard – Love Ranch. Located 35 miles south of Yosemite National Park in Madera County. At 1,350ft elevation, it’s not your normal Central Valley Vineyard. The soils are made up of granitic schist and there is no use of chemicals, pesticides or herbicides. We keep a large amount of leaves on the vines to protect against the heat. We also keep a slightly larger crop to disperse much of the sun’s energy to prevent the sugars from spiking and to help maintain the alcohols below 14%. 12% abv. 700 cases made.”
Our Tasting Notes: This California white blend delivers lots of bright citrus refreshment. Pair this with a wide variety of vegetarian dishes or shrimp and grits.
The Hobo Wine Company
Camp Wines were created by the Hobo Wine Co. to showcase the quality and value of Sonoma County wine. Camp works with top growers and vineyard managers in very high quality and responsibly farmed, though lesser-known, vineyards throughout Sonoma County to produce delicious, approachable, and affordable wines. The Camp wines employ native yeasts and malolactic bacterias for the primary and secondary fermentations without the use of commercial fermentation aids or additives. The wines are aged in real oak barrels and/or stainless steel tanks vs. alternatives or flavoring agents.
Try: 2016 CAMP Cabernet Franc (Sonoma County, CA)
Winemaker's Notes: “The 2016 Cabernet Franc is roughly 30% from the organically farmed Mojon’s Bench in Alexander Valley and 70% from the biodynamically farmed Puma Springs in Dry Creek Valley. Each lot was fermented with 50% whole clusters and the final blend was aged in neutral French barrels ranging from 1-5 years old. Camp’s intention is to produce lean, almost herbaceous CF that has structure and varietal integrity.”
Our Tasting Notes: Tastes more like fine Loire Valley Cab Franc than an overweight California version. Pair this with mushroom risotto with plenty of fresh Parmesan.