2022 Broc Cellars 'Michael Mara' Chardonnay

"Broc Cellars is a Berkeley-based natural winery that makes refreshing and approachable wines for everyday drinking. Established in 2002 by owner and winemaker Chris Brockway, we use native fermentations and organically-grown grapes. Broc wines are made with the intention to lift you up, never weigh you down.

Chris Brockway’s winemaking journey began with California Zinfandel. The spicy, brambly fruit style drew him from his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska all the way to California. What he found, however, was that California wines had changed to fit the “bigger is better”mold of the time. Personally, he felt it was all too much – high alcohol, too big, too much everything.

We make natural wine the way we believe delivers the best wines for us and the earth. We use only organically-farmed grapes. We use cover crops to boost soil health, water retention and biodiversity. Sheep help us manage crop cover and fertilize the soil. We harvest early for more healthy grapes that retain their good acidity. This often results in lower alcohol wines. The lower Brix (sugar content) at harvest allows for easier fermentations. We use native yeasts and bacteria that exist on the grapes and never add sulphur during fermentation. We occasionally add a small amount of sulphur at bottling depending on the wine, style and year."

Lemon zest and pomello

A unique expression of Chardonnay that has the vivacity only California can provide to Chardonnay with the crisp balance of fruit and acidity akin to a Chablis-style wine. This Chardonnay has a long history with us, starting with our first vintage in 2010. The Michael Mara Vineyard sits along the Sonoma Mountain range in the Sonoma Coast AVA. It’s a unique site for growing Chardonnay in California with the fruit absorbing lots of the marine air along with minerality from the rocky soil. We brought in the grapes whole cluster and directly pressed. The juice fermented naturally in two stockinger Austrian oak puncheons. Aged on the lees for 10 months. The result is an approachable wine for chardonnay lovers, novices and dare we say – even skeptics. Age up to 20 years.