Wholesome Holiday Pack

The Holidays are upon us, and for sure there'll be family and friends gatherings- which usually entails endless amounts of good food and (hopefully) good wines.

We thought it would be a good idea to handpick what we call a "Wholesome Holiday Pack"- a set of white, red and sparkling wines that are farmed organically, biodynamically or naturally, to make you feel good before, during and after each meal.

Without further ado, here's our full lineup in all its glory..

 Let's dive into each one and learn a bit more, shall we?

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Broc Cellars wines are made using spontaneous fermentation, a process that means they only use 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. Sulphur is a naturally occurring element in all wine, the amount found can vary. They add little to no S02, depending on the wine and style.

The grapes were harvested in August to help preserve their natural acidity. All varieties were fermented separately then aged in neutral French oak barrels with no S02. Bottled in January. Malolactic fermentation was allowed to happen naturally. In 2018 they added Picpoul to the Love White blend – adding more brightness. The Picpoul grapes come from vines that we grafted onto Roussanne vines at Love Ranch a few years ago. The cuttings came from Rorick Vineyard.  This wine is unfiltered and will contain some sediment.

The Love Red grapes are harvested early to highlight the fruit and preserve the acidity and fermented only by native yeasts. The Carignan fruit comes from three 70 year old dry farmed vineyards in Northern California and was fermented carbonic. We destemmed then fermented the Zinfandel in stainless open top fermenters. And the Grenache Noir was fermented carbonic. The wine was aged in a combination of neutral French oak barrels and concrete tanks for 8 months. Carignan delivers the blue fruit in the wine. Zinfandel brings out the brightness. And the Grenache Noir holds it together, adding a really pretty fruit element to the wine.

Marc Soyard has adapted the same hands-off, natural philosophy to Domaine de la Cras that he learned at Domaine Bizot. All of the vineyards are farmed organically with some biodynamic practices. Depending on the vintage, the reds are partial whole cluster or 100% whole clusters. All vinification is done with natural yeasts, and minimal addition of sulfur. Elevage is traditional in a mix of new and used barrels, with frequent experimentation using different types of wood in small amounts including the traditional oak from various forests, as well as chestnut and acacia barrels.

The Domaine de la Cras Coteaux de Dijon Blanc is 100% Chardonnay and biodynamic. Sourced from 2.5 HA on the lower slopes of the monopole. 20 year old vines grown in clay-limestone with marl beneath. The grapes were manually harvested with sorting done at the vine and pressed into barrel for native yeast fermentation. Elevage for 10-12 months in neutral oak. Light fining before being bottled.

Domaine de la Cras Coteaux de Dijon Rouge 2019 is 100% Pinot Noir and biodynamic. Sourced from 4.5 Ha of vines (planted in 1983 and 2001) on clay-limestone soil. 50% whole cluster in semi-carbonic, 
50% crushed but not destemmed. Native yeast fermentation for both. Minimal pump-overs and punch-downs. Elevage in neutral wood for 10-12 months.

Patton Valley Hedges Estate Vineyard Ancona's Cuvee Cab Franc is 100% Cabernet Franc, organic and biodynamic.  And exclusive to Ancona's.  Carbonic Maceration, then fermentation by native yeasts.  One year in oak: 20% new, 20% 2nd fill and 60% neutral.  

What a difference 2 kilometers makes! Bruno Dangin's Crémant de Bourgogne is made from 100% Pinot Noir from organically farmed vines in Molesme, located just beneath the southern border of Champagne's Aube.The limestone rich soils are the same as those of their pricier neighbor to the north.  Boasting a fine bead and soft mousse and aromas of red fruits and autolyse, one would be hard pressed to spot the difference. The palate offers great depth, pure pinot fruit, and a suave, layered, persistent finish. This is a great value in bubbles and will grace the holiday table nicely.

Hoping you have a wonderful Holiday Season!

From our family, to yours.