2013 Broc, Valdigue, Solano County-Green Valley.
Chris Brockway and his Broc Cellars, a micro urban winery, continue to amaze with vibrant and colorful offerings, like this delightful 2013 Valdigue, a light to medium bodied red that delivers bright flavors and energy, made from a rare French varietal that was once thought to be Gamay in California. Still this wines tastes like a Fleurie or other Cru Beaujolais a bit, so you can see why people thought this was Gamay, Valdique was for many years a blending grape, lost in obscurity for a long time, then called “Napa” Gamay, until DNA testing sorted it out and it was confirmed as Valdigue, a grape native to the wilds of southwest France. There is a few acres of Valdigue planted, mostly in Monterey County by J. Lohr, a winery that has long championed it, and a few plots in the Russian River, where Rochioli makes one of best I’ve tasted, and some in Napa itself, but they might be only on handful or a dozen bottling if that, it is pretty rare. Broc’s version is fresh and silky with good acidity and charming character showing tangy cherry, wild strawberry, sour plum and spicy raspberry fruits, hints of rose petals, mountain herbs, a touch of earth, mineral and candied orange rind. Brockway is crafting some really fun wines and this Valdigue is a great summer red, and certainly would shine at picnics and BBQ with a slight chill, drink now and over the next 2-3 years.
($24 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive
