Broc Cellars 'Love Red', California

Dried cranberry, baking spice, and cocoa open with bright fruit and an easy savory edge. 2023 Love Red is Broc Cellars' everyday California red, built around organically grown heritage varieties and harvested early to retain freshness and natural acidity. Its mix of partial carbonic maceration, traditional skin fermentation, and neutral vessels reflects Chris Brockway's longstanding pursuit of lighter, energetic California wines with clarity and balance.

Product Details:

• Producer: Broc Cellars
• Owner: Chris Brockway
• Winemaker: Chris Brockway
• Vintage: 2023
• Grapes: Carignan, Syrah, Grenache Gris, Valdiguié, Trousseau Noir
• Blend: 73% Carignan, 14% Syrah, 10% Grenache Gris, 2% Valdiguié, 1% Trousseau Noir
• Farming: Organically grown grapes
• Harvest: Harvested early to retain natural acidity
• Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts and bacteria; Carignan, Grenache, and Valdiguié fermented as a mix of partially destemmed and whole-cluster berries in stainless steel; Syrah and Trousseau destemmed and fermented on skins for two weeks
• Maceration: Partial carbonic maceration for Carignan, Grenache, and Valdiguié
• Aging: Neutral French oak barrique and stainless steel
• Free SO2: Less than 5 ppm
• Total SO2: 13 ppm
• ABV: 12.5%
• Case Production: 800 cases

Sensory Description:

Dried cranberry leads the profile, bringing a tart red-fruited quality framed by baking spice and cocoa. Bright acidity keeps the palate lively, while a subtle touch of tannin gives the wine more shape and structure than a purely glou-glou style. The overall impression remains light and fresh, with enough savory depth and gentle grip to carry the fruit through a clean, food-friendly finish.

Producer’s Background:

Chris Brockway began making wine in Berkeley in 2002 and released the first Broc Cellars vintage in 2006, developing the winery around a different vision of California wine: fresher fruit, earlier harvesting, organically farmed grapes, native fermentation, and restrained alcohol. Love Red embodies that approach by giving heritage and less commonly championed California varieties a consistent place in the Broc range. The winery has grown from a single barrel into a broad collection of wines while retaining its emphasis on spontaneous fermentation, minimal additions, and transparent fruit expression.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve lightly chilled, around 13 to 15 degrees Celsius, in a medium-sized red wine glass to emphasize the wine's cranberry fruit, spice, and refreshing acidity. Its flexible structure works with spiced dishes such as Indian samosas, while its savory depth can also handle more substantial fare such as Vietnamese shaking beef. Charred vegetables, grilled pork, roast chicken, and other boldly seasoned dishes are equally comfortable pairings.