Falling for Fall

Press Reviews

Wine Align

91 points - Michael Godel

Debut vintage of Frédéric Brouca’s Clair Des Champs, literally “clear fields,” a light red (not a Rosé) that the Faugères winemaker chooses to categorize as "Rouge Clair.” A new genre of wine perhaps, bright and light made by co-fermenting direct press mourvèdre on terret blanc and carignan. May not talk about or incite a revolution but it is clever and insightful, so there’s definitely that. It’s clear, crisp and clean, glou-glou as they say but also taut and beautiful. There is love involved, obviously not a political thing but important as a self-titled debut label. “Talking about a revolution? It sounds like a whisper.” Drink 2024-2026. Tasted December 2024.

90 points - John Szabo, MS

A blend of mourvèdre, cinsault and terret blanc made in a very pale red (or deep rosé) 'clairet' style, Brouca's 23 Clair des Champs is a clean, sapid and savoury wine with a very particular set of flavours, beyond any easy analogy. Ripe raspberry-type fruit meets a sort of meaty, amino acid-rich taste profile, while tannins are light and grainy and acids comfortably bright. With just 12% alcohol there's also a refreshing aspect to it. It's a wine to drink lightly chilled but not cold, over the next year or two. I appreciate the integrity and craftsmanship here. Tasted December 2024.

90 points - Sara d'Amato

A salty, clean and lively claret-style red made from a schist-grown blend, largely from Faugères, that includes mourvèdre, cinsault, and the more rare terret blanc. Dry and mineral with notes of puréed red fruit, cranberry, and thyme. I can easily see this at the holiday table. Light in alcohol at 12%, certified organic and with a very fine tannic presence. Highly accessible, ready to drink and a great deal of fun. Tasted December 2024.

Press Reviews

Robert Parker

90 points

Bright and simple, this wine delivers the goods. The Zuani 2023 Friuli Pinot Grigio Sodevo is made in stainless steel only with expressive fruit from marl and sandstone soils. Floral notes peel off first with orange blossom and yellow rose. There is a hint of sweetness to close, but the wine ends on a rather snappy, dry note. Production is 30,000 bottles. 

Zuani, based in San Floriano del Collio, is run by Patrizia Felluga and her children, Antonio and Caterina. The winery is surrounded by soft hills, and the vineyard sites enjoy the best exposures. Typical Ponca soils with marl and sandstone give the wines freshness and sharp contours. This family-run estate was founded in 2001.

August 29th, 2024

Press Reviews

Wine Align

93 points - Michael Godel

Côte de Glou just has to be a fantasy name, a play of words for a wine that you just want to drink, glug-glug, glou-glou but imagined as from a place that happens to be a hill, slope or coast. This glow is a mix of grenache, syrah and carignan off of hilly Faugères slopes of schist. This is the purest, fruitiest and least swarthy of Brouca’s wines and also the one out of which tannins take the sharpest bite. The least confounding and different of his organic and low-sulphites work, the wine that reeks of purple fruit and florals, of violets and roses, of berries and mineral salts. Tastes this way too, piquant and crunchy, piquing palate and interest. Most representative of Faugères and something for everyone in a glass. Drink 2024-2028. Tasted January 2023.

92 points - David Lawrason

This is an organically grown blend of grenache, syrah and carignan grown in the Faugeres region of Languedoc. It is deeply coloured, and a bit cloudy (unfiltered). The nose shows very ripe blackberry, some meatiness, dried herbs and anise. It is medium-full bodied, highly energized, juicy and firm with considerable tannic grit. Excellent focus and length with a rustic/farmy ambiance. Bordering on a natural wine expression. The complexity and length are excellent indeed. Tasted January 2024

92 points - Sara d'Amato

Schist-grown, 40-year-old grenache, syrah, and carignan from the slopes of Faugères make up Brouca's Côte de Glou assemblage. Supple enough for immediate drinking largely due to the 2+ years of maturation in stainless steel and neutral French oak. A characterful natural, organic, and vegan-friendly wine with no added sulphur. Salty, bright, and clean with notable complexity on the palate that features wet leaves, cran-cherry, plum compote, gentle fruit spice and even a hint of cola. Widely appealing with very good length. Best now to 2028. Tasted January 2024.

91 points -

Brouca's "Côte de Glou" ("slope of glug"?) is a blend of grenache, syrah and carignan from La Serre plateau in the Languedoc appellation of Faugères made 'naturally' (organic farming, no additives). It pours a deep red-ruby and offers a range of wild, earthy, leathery, waxy aromas in the natural wine genre, not to say funky, but a bit wild and oxidative. Fruit is fresh, both dark and red, sitting on a tight frame of gritty tannins and above average acids. I like the saliva-inducing quality, the savoury, umami-rich aspect. It's tough to anticipate the evolution of such wines given the little protection (sulfites) they contain, but I'd suggest another year or two in the cellar for additional complexity and textural polishing. Tasted January 2024.