2017 Brutocao Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Hopland Ranches
Divvy-Up
80 Points
Tasting Notes
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast -
"A subtle, almost delicate French oak character melds with abundant black-fruit notes and firm fine-grained tannins in this full-bodied but well-balanced wine. It's a great example of what the warmer inland areas of Mendocino can produce." - Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast Hopland ranches Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of fruit from the Bliss Vineyard and the Contento Vineyard. The Contento Ranch is a beautiful, hillside vineyard, which gives this wine its distinct character of concentrated fruit and complex layers. The Bliss Vineyard lends the elegance and dark fruit that older vines bring to a wine. Aromas of blackberry jam with hints of cedar lead into a rich wine with dark chocolate resulting in a long, smooth finish of cinnamon graham cracker and dates.
Comments
Mendocino Wine Country
Mendocino caps the wine regions of California and includes several AVAs that are becoming known for their distinctive wines. It’s a bit of a split personality, with a cooler side and a warmer side divided by the Mendocino Ridge. Mendocino is also a top producer of organic fruit with over 25% of vineyard acreage certified organic. One of the best known AVA is Anderson Valley, home to excellent Pinot, Alsatian varietals, and sparkling wines. On the warmer side you’ll find Redwood Valley and Potter Valley, sites for great Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Read more about Mendocino wine country from Mendowines.com here
Absolutely lovely - with some earthy blackberry fruit, chocolate, and soft tannins. This is on the lighter side for a cab, while still having depth. It was nicely balanced, smooth, and easy to drink right now. I wonder what it will be like in 2-3 years? I thought it paired well with my burger, and pleasantly surprised that it was even very nice without food.
Great pic 🙌
Two time domestique the Giro d'Bottiglia!
Thanks for the opinion!
Lovely rich color and a nose any mother could love
Drinks on it’s own yet pairs beautifully with food – I tried it before, during and after a delicious Pork Tenderloin and it drank so well in all three situations.
This is an authentic Cabernet with honest “big Cab” characteristics but much more drinkable.
I thought this would be $40 a bottle easily! 3 for $60 is ridiculous!
I completely agree about it drinking well even without food (before, during, after my meal). I loved that about it - and I love the price too!
Would be nice if I could post a pic of my pairing oriented correctly. I swear it has nothing to do with the consumption!
Love this wine! It was so light yet full of flavor and very smooth. I would very confidently recommend this drinkable cab for a nice dinner or a gift! Can't wait to take advantage of the next event
It's a great day for Cabernet , Single Vineyard Estate Grown in Beautiful Hopland, CA
Hey everyone Hoss Milone Winemaker for Brutocao Family Vineyards hope ya'll have a great day.
Hi Hoss. I enjoyed your wine, and it wasn't just because I got a free bottle. I was just wondering how representative this bottle is of Brutocao Cabs. I liked that it was a little lighter than Cabs I have been drinking. Is that typical of the Brutocao approach, or more related to the 2017 vintage?
Very typical for us . It is the way we manage tannins so the wine is more fruit forward . I want you to taste the same great flavors I do in the vineyard. We go after grape skin tannins more subtle than seed tannins which most people think off when drinking cabs. But still will last just like those other Cabs because we also have acid and balance. We have scored over 90 points with last 6 vintages so we must be doing something right. Glad you enjoyed it Thanks
Welcome Hoss and Brutocao! We are very excited to have your Cabernet as our very first offer!
Ariana Kalff
Wine Country Connect
Very nice to have the winemaker on this forum, Hoss! I completely enjoyed this cab, with barely a moment for it to breathe. So I know it’s drinkable right now, but is there a sweet spot for number of years to hold on to it?
20 years would be my recommendation, the wine is built to drink young and will improve with time it should hit it's prime at 10 years. But in my house if not consumed in 20 days is a win.
Thank you PrevViewers for reviewing the wine for this offer.
Hi everyone. I was excited to get a bottle of the Brutocao Cab as part inner circle launch of Divvy-Up. I'm not a wine expert, so I admit that I took a look at the Brutocao web site to get some clues as to what to expect. Maybe that's cheating, but honestly some wine reviews just fly right past me. I don't know what a currant tastes like, and I've never smelled garrique (actually I had to check that I spelled it right). Where I come from we just call garrigue a bush.
On to the wine. I saved the wine for the weekend when I could enjoy it with a nice meal. It was a lovely color that you can see from pics on the other reviews. It had a garnet quality, particularly around the edges of the glass, but overall darker and more rich looking. I tried to look it up on a color chart and it matched to the color they called wine ... not very helpful.
I didn't let the wine sit. I'm not too good at patience. A quick swirl and in I went. My initial impression was dark fruit, but not as fruit forward as I expected. And thinking about it, I recognize that most of the Cabs I have been drinking are from Napa so I am used to a certain style.
The tasting notes say blackberry, and the fruit aroma was definitely dark fruit, but I got more dark plum. The aroma was nicely balanced with a little oak. There was a bit of earthiness, but not that barnyard earth that some Cabs have, and I got just a little anise.
Initial taste was very pleasant. My first sensation was that everything was in it's place. A nice balance of fruit, not too much acid and not too much tannin. The tasting notes from Wine Enthusiast use the word delicate and I can taste why. This Cab is on the lighter end of the Cab spectrum for me. I checked it again, yes definitely lighter, but so nicely balanced. Maybe one more sip. And one more....
I had the wine with a mushroom risotto spiked with a bit of truffle oil. It was a great combination. The fruit was well matched to the earthy mushroom flavors. The acid and tannin balanced the richness of the dish and truffle flavors. Hmmm... I was 3/4 done with the bottle. Guess I liked this wine.
Overall, I'd say a well balanced, easy to drink Cabernet that shows off it's fruit and oak qualities in a very pleasing way. I liked the fact that it wasn't a huge wine, although I was a little concerned on how easily it disappeared from the bottle. I feel more comfortable blaming that on the wine. The wine did have a nice structure to it, so while easy to drink, there was some firmness there too. Hope that this was helpful. At this price, I'm getting some. I liked it.
Hello, Steve Brutocao here. Thank you all for your wonderful comments. As our winemaker, Hoss, mentioned, we try to make the wine taste as close to the fresh fruit that we pick in the vineyard. We are truly a family operation as the bottle says, "family farmed, four generations." Grandpa Irv Bliss planted the vineyards in the 40's, with the help of Hoss' grandfather. And 80 years later we are still working together. I join my brother David, director of winemaking, and brother Len, vineyards manager, in our passion to grow the best fruit and make the best wines for all of you to enjoy. Cheers, Steve.
Hi Steve, This was such an awesome introduction to Brutocao wines! I loved this cab and I look forward to trying more of your varietals.
Also, what's the lab rat, er, prevview, protocol for signing up here?
For all interested in PrevView there's some info in the FAQ on the about page. Check it out -requests go to prevview@divvy-up.com . We've got some awesome wines coming.
I encourage all to participate. It's a great way to add to the community and you get free wine.