2022 Broc Cellars 'Ayay!' Red Blend Mendocino County

Winemaker Notes:  Cherry, tamarind & mint on the nose, fruit punch & liquorice on the palate.

This wine is packed with energy, fun and even a bit of reverie – just like the Italian pop song that inspired it. We knew we had to give this co-ferment the spotlight when we tasted it shortly after our 2022 harvest wrapped. We love how the Montepulciano’s gentle structure and the Trebbiano’s playful acidity work so well together in the glass. We harvested the Montepulciano and Trebbiano from Fox Hill Vineyard on the same day, field blend style. We layered the two together for co-fermentation in stainless steel tank with the Trebbiano whole cluster and the Montepulciano half destemmed and half whole cluster. Once pressed, the wine was then aged in concrete tank. The concrete tank we used is brand new this year and is the six concrete vessel in our cellar. We like aging some of our wines in concrete because it gives the same slight oxidative quality that barrels do, but without imparting any barrel sensory qualities. Using concrete can let the wine truly shine. The wine is inspired by the song Cuccurucucu by Franco Battiato, an Italian composer and pop singer. 80% Montepulciano | 20% Trebbiano.

At Broc Cellars all of our wines are made using spontaneous fermentation, a process that means we only use native yeasts and bacteria that exist on the grapes in order to make wine. We 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. We add little to no S02, depending on the wine and style.