Last Puppy Night wine. Great on PnP, continued to open over several hours on night one, then overnight. Still showing that great greeness from the whole cluster fermentation. Plenty of structure to continue to age, but really great now.
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I think this was the correct vintage but I won't swear by it. Great bretty nose, borders on too much for some, red fruits, medium plus body, very nice.
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Consumed over two nights. Very consistent with prior bottle consumed 8 months prior. Smoked meat on the nose, with a touch more green than before, giving more indication to the Cab Franc. On the palate, very green, bell peppers and a touch of grassiness. Very enjoyable. Will hold the remaining bottle for several years before opening.
From the last shipment. Amazing. I think that the whole cluster fermentation gave it earthy stem flavored notes that worked in harmony with the beautiful fruit. Like nothing I've tasted before. So much terroir. No hint of green pepper (which i usually enjoy anyway). No heat. Clean and crisp and became more nuanced as it opened up. Great acidity as well like most of Broc's offerings. Wish I had another.
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Consistent with prior bottles, just wonderful. I served this to a winemaker that's about to get her own brand/label off the ground, as she's considering some options in terms of style and overall expression. She's had Broc's Zin before, which is very much in the same vein - all about fruit, seamless, fresh and replete with acids - as opposed to high brix, r/s and wood chips (and de-alc'ing). At just 11.9%, this medium-bodied effort has a wide range of savory flavors and impressive persistence. highly recommended, drink thru 2019
Aerated to decanter one hour, returned to bottle and served non-blind 3 hours later
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I'm in love. This has a gorgeous light color, a beautiful nose, and a tangy, pure, and vibrant palate. The 11.9% and the whole cluster would have had me thinking green, bitter, underripe flavors, but this is clean and fruity and joyful wine, with a slightly bitter, slightly juicy cranberry element that works really well, and a leafy/undergrowthy/tea leaf background that is in no way bell pepper or Chinon/Bourgueil-like. Very old world in its sensibility, but also distinctly Californian. Went brilliantly with the duck over lentils. I kept coming back to this even though there were plenty of other really serious wines present. Why can't more Cali wine be like this?
On PnP, if I only had the nose to go by, I would have said Syrah. A nice smoked meatiness to it. On the palate, the Cab Franc shows its hand; peppery, and a lot of greenness, which I'm guessing is from the whole cluster fermentation. A slight touch of heat on the finish, which I wasn't expecting. Overall tight, but a nice first impression. Following over several hours, the smoked meat on the nose and greenness on the palate recede, giving way to a tremendous brambly thing, and still with the pepper one would expect from a Cab Franc. Extreme test of willpower, not finishing this by myself.
Still rockin' on night two, although I find the fruit has faded a touch, and it's a bit more tannic on the palate.
Strikes me as more of a New World expression of the varietal, and just ridiculously good.
Light body. Great fruit. Strong nose of dried cherry, light pepper, bit of forest. Very well balanced. Clean and pure. Enjoyed it very much but it kept getting better with time in the glass. I'd like to decant the next bottle, this was one large glass from the coravin. Not the typical Cab Franc. In my mind, I'd put this with salmon, lighter fare.
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Run, don't walk, when you go to buy this. I disagree with the only other note here, this is not very Chinon-esque - if typical Chinon CFs were like this, the price would go up 50% overnight. And even though I'm a card-carrying member of the 'I love Loire Cab Franc' committee, I couldn't deny how beautiful this was, though in more of a California meets Cab Franc (and wins!) kind of way. The 11,9% abv, the drop-dead gorgeous color, scintillating aromatics and seamless layers of very pure fruit all make for a spectacular example of the variety, the region and sound, sensible winemaking. Really, this is quite brilliant, and a great surprise. highly recommended, drink thru 2018
Aerated to decanter 2 hours, served non-blind.
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Light bodied, very Chinon like. On the nose bell pepper, mushroom, red pepper, black pepper all kinds of spice. Mouth follows the nose, with addition of forest floor component...very earth driven. Complex, interesting, very low alcohol, very drinkable and delicious, not what I am used to drinking everyday...but this is what I should be drinking. 93+, holding myself back from giving it a 94.
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4/30/2017 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
Last Puppy Night wine. Great on PnP, continued to open over several hours on night one, then overnight. Still showing that great greeness from the whole cluster fermentation. Plenty of structure to continue to age, but really great now.
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7/27/2016 - dmorris176 Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Too bretty for me - maybe there was something wrong with the bottle given the other rave reviews.
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6/1/2015 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Last lunch club meetup for a while (Sydney, Australia): Stem, spice, graphite, cherry and violet. Light bodied profile, I like the balance and the lean green style.
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3/15/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 89 Points
I think this was the correct vintage but I won't swear by it. Great bretty nose, borders on too much for some, red fruits, medium plus body, very nice.
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11/6/2014 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
Consumed over two nights. Very consistent with prior bottle consumed 8 months prior. Smoked meat on the nose, with a touch more green than before, giving more indication to the Cab Franc. On the palate, very green, bell peppers and a touch of grassiness. Very enjoyable. Will hold the remaining bottle for several years before opening.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
8/20/2014 - brooklynian Likes this wine:
From the last shipment. Amazing. I think that the whole cluster fermentation gave it earthy stem flavored notes that worked in harmony with the beautiful fruit. Like nothing I've tasted before. So much terroir. No hint of green pepper (which i usually enjoy anyway). No heat. Clean and crisp and became more nuanced as it opened up. Great acidity as well like most of Broc's offerings. Wish I had another.
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6/27/2014 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Consistent with prior bottles, just wonderful. I served this to a winemaker that's about to get her own brand/label off the ground, as she's considering some options in terms of style and overall expression. She's had Broc's Zin before, which is very much in the same vein - all about fruit, seamless, fresh and replete with acids - as opposed to high brix, r/s and wood chips (and de-alc'ing). At just 11.9%, this medium-bodied effort has a wide range of savory flavors and impressive persistence. highly recommended, drink thru 2019
Aerated to decanter one hour, returned to bottle and served non-blind 3 hours later
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5/23/2014 - Annie1 wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful color. Light crisp fresh taste. Nice cab franc. Easy drinking.
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3/29/2014 - yofog wrote: 92 Points
I'm in love. This has a gorgeous light color, a beautiful nose, and a tangy, pure, and vibrant palate. The 11.9% and the whole cluster would have had me thinking green, bitter, underripe flavors, but this is clean and fruity and joyful wine, with a slightly bitter, slightly juicy cranberry element that works really well, and a leafy/undergrowthy/tea leaf background that is in no way bell pepper or Chinon/Bourgueil-like. Very old world in its sensibility, but also distinctly Californian. Went brilliantly with the duck over lentils. I kept coming back to this even though there were plenty of other really serious wines present. Why can't more Cali wine be like this?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/25/2014 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
Drank over two nights.
On PnP, if I only had the nose to go by, I would have said Syrah. A nice smoked meatiness to it. On the palate, the Cab Franc shows its hand; peppery, and a lot of greenness, which I'm guessing is from the whole cluster fermentation. A slight touch of heat on the finish, which I wasn't expecting. Overall tight, but a nice first impression. Following over several hours, the smoked meat on the nose and greenness on the palate recede, giving way to a tremendous brambly thing, and still with the pepper one would expect from a Cab Franc. Extreme test of willpower, not finishing this by myself.
Still rockin' on night two, although I find the fruit has faded a touch, and it's a bit more tannic on the palate.
Strikes me as more of a New World expression of the varietal, and just ridiculously good.
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3/9/2014 - NNV Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light body. Great fruit. Strong nose of dried cherry, light pepper, bit of forest. Very well balanced. Clean and pure. Enjoyed it very much but it kept getting better with time in the glass. I'd like to decant the next bottle, this was one large glass from the coravin. Not the typical Cab Franc. In my mind, I'd put this with salmon, lighter fare.
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3/8/2014 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Run, don't walk, when you go to buy this. I disagree with the only other note here, this is not very Chinon-esque - if typical Chinon CFs were like this, the price would go up 50% overnight. And even though I'm a card-carrying member of the 'I love Loire Cab Franc' committee, I couldn't deny how beautiful this was, though in more of a California meets Cab Franc (and wins!) kind of way. The 11,9% abv, the drop-dead gorgeous color, scintillating aromatics and seamless layers of very pure fruit all make for a spectacular example of the variety, the region and sound, sensible winemaking. Really, this is quite brilliant, and a great surprise. highly recommended, drink thru 2018
Aerated to decanter 2 hours, served non-blind.
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2/24/2014 - La Peste Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light bodied, very Chinon like. On the nose bell pepper, mushroom, red pepper, black pepper all kinds of spice. Mouth follows the nose, with addition of forest floor component...very earth driven. Complex, interesting, very low alcohol, very drinkable and delicious, not what I am used to drinking everyday...but this is what I should be drinking. 93+, holding myself back from giving it a 94.
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