
Broc Cellars - La Boutanche Red 1L California 2024 (13% abv)
WINE CLUB SELECTION - OCT. 2025
Selection Massale's 'La Boutanche' series is an ongoing series of collaborations with leading winemakers working in the 'natural' mode -- fermentation with native yeasts, little to no sulfur -- to distribute tasty and affordable wines for immediate consumption.
Always in liter sized bottles colorfully adorned with anthropomorphic caricatures of the producers, these offer excellent everyday options for parties, dinners, and personal enjoyment. Â Â
When we were first starting out, we quickly became disappointed with the lack of good natural wine in the $20 range. Not being the kind of people to say ‘well, it is what it is’, we got to work thinking about how we could remedy this situation. So, we started talking with our producers and, already knowing what we wanted - native yeast fermentations, low or zero SO2 additions, and the like; basically pure unadulterated glou glou that we could put into a liter-sized screw-top bottle and would be a great introduction to natural wine - it didn’t take long for us to find winemakers who were willing to partner with us on this project. All it needed was a name.
The first run of Boutanche was back in 2012. As you may remember, it had a bright pink label that read ‘La Boutanche’ with pig in a Hawaiian shirt polishing off a glass of wine above that, and not much else. The juice inside was what mattered (at the time it was Gamay made by Maison PUR), and the juice inside seriously overdelivered for its low retail price. It was an immediate hit. Flash forward to today and there are many different Boutanche: the grasshopper (Andi Knauss), the fish (Frantz Saumon), the pig (Olivier Minot), the French bulldog (Quentin Bourse), the gorilla (Martin Texier), you name it. We are committed to expanding the line and having Boutanche be the first bottle you reach for around $20, either if it’s your daily go-to wine or if it will be your first natural wine experience. Boutanche is now synonymous with high-quality natty juice at a fair price, so stay tuned for new releases under this label.
Chris Brockway, originally from Omaha, learned winemaking at UC Davis and Cal State Fresno, where he learned how to add all the things to wine that he insists on not adding to his own wines at Broc Cellars in Berkeley. His wife and business partner Bridget Leary grew up in Berkeley where her mom had a café and Bridget helped her open a wine bar. When she met Chris she had no idea anyone was actually making wine in Berkeley. Now she and Chris are making some of the most exciting wines in California in their Berkeley cellar. They have come to define the 'new wave' of California winemaking with wines that pull back on overripe gobs of fruit, alcohol, and instead put freshness and finesse at the forefont.Â
LA BOUTANCHE Â Lot 24
"THE STORY:  We’re thrilled to share the latest release of Boutanche! This release is a new, fresh and lively blend. After several years of farming and making wine from our Fox Hill Vineyard, we've gained a deeper understanding of the site and its fruit, especially Sangiovese, which truly shines here. This new bottling is built around that very Sangiovese, which makes up 50% of the blend. All grapes were naturally fermented using whole clusters, with a portion undergoing carbonic maceration, then gently pressed and aged for 9 months in a mix of concrete and neutral barrique.
The result? A wine that’s fresh, vibrant, juicy, and surprisingly refined - perfect for any gathering. Like all wines under the Boutanche label, it's all about enjoyment, and you'll be glad it comes in a liter because it disappears quickly. Whether you chill it down or enjoy it at cellar temperature, this is a bright, delicious expression of California that’s made to be shared, any time of day.
FUN FACT: Badger means Broc in Scottish Gaelic. The badger is our winery mascot."
VARIETIES: 50% Sangiovese, 23% Carignan, 20% Valdiguie, 4% Trousseau, 3% Grenache Noir
LOCATION: Northern CaliforniaÂ
FARMING PRACTICES: Organically grown grapes
ALCOHOL: 13%
Broc's version of a perfect "table" red, and with this year's bottling based on Sangiovese, talk about a perfect pizza red! Chill it down, sip with friends, and don't think too much about it. Lively, juicy, but not too light! This is a medium bodied chilled red. vibrant notes of dark cherry, raspberry, earthy undertones. unpretentious, refreshing, and well-balanced.brambly blackberry, black cherry, all spice, and a sprinkle of dried herbs
We sourced grapes for La Boutanche from all over Northern California. No specific sites have been revealed yet for this vintage - but In the past the vineyards have included Lopez Vineyard on Mohawk Trail in Redwood Valley, Arrowhead Vineyard in
Sonoma Valley and Enz Vineyard in Lime Kiln Valley. All vineyards are organically
farmed. (most of the recent vintages of Broc's Boutanche have been ZInfandel-dominant, so this is quite a new take).
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