Layered with an attractive fleshiness.” Lapalus noted “strawberry and cherry” aromatics, with a “creamy texture” and “leesy” notes. It also trips into a cherry spectrum, both red and black, depending on ripeness. In fact, Len Evans planted it in the Hunter Valley (understood to be) in 1976. Murray commented that gamay is a variety that offers a lot of value for consumers. The rise of … | About Us In 1395, worried that Gamay would outshine Pinot Noir due to its prolific yield, Philippe the Bold issued a decree banning it from the Duchy of Bourgogne. Well balanced with lots of points of interest,” wrote Johns. With their lower alcohol and a ability to take on a slight chill without losing any flavor, they're perfect for summer, too. “Dark fruits with silky feel across the palate. The identity of the wines was revealed after the panellists had disclosed their opinions. Barry and Jan Morey from Beechworth’s biodynamic quiet achiever Sorrenberg and Philip Jones of Bass Philip were even earlier adopters, with the latter planting vines at high density in 1988. From one of Australia’s pioneers of the variety, this made the top six lists of Crowther, Johns and Avril. He went deeper into cherries on the palate, also noting “morello” in the “clean and well made” wine. A natural cross between pinot noir and gouais blanc, the gamay noir à jus blanc variety makes it possible to produce wines with multifaceted fruitiness: from “cheerful fruitiness” for Festive Beaujolais wines – and hence “Beaujolais Nouveau” – to “complex fruitiness” for the Exceptional Beaujolais, and including “racy fruitiness” for the Expressive Beaujolais. Gamay is a purple-coloured grape variety used mostly to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. For quite some time, a raft of genuinely superb, terroir-specific wines has been vastly undervalued in the market. “I thought there were some good examples… I think sometimes for me it was underripe and overripe … sometimes the sour/sweet just threw me,” she said. ______________________________________________, Georges Duboeuf For another French wine grape known as Gamay, see Jurançon (grape). Stephanie Jacob is the Wine Buyer at Andrew McConnel’s Supernormal. Red wine that is labeled as coming from Beaujolais must be produced from the Gamay grape variety, according to French law. At Philadelphia’s a.kitchen, wine director Mariel Wega calls lighter-bodied red wine made from the Gamay grape "a sommelier’s secret weapon." Whether made into the mass-exported, fresh-and-fruity Nouveau Beajolais or the far more dignified Cru Beaujolais, Gamay is a nice change of pace from heavy, spicy reds. The latter saw, “wild strawberry, white pepper… something alluring. “Dried red plum, cherry, earthy sous bois note,” Murray wrote. We’ll let their words do the talking. They’ve been popping up on wine bar lists in Australia over the last few years like sonar pings signaling something is out there. Although there are a few stalwarts, gamay has no defining identity in this country, and arguably the benchmark of Beaujolais has not been imprinted heavily on those longer-term players. Gamay is an easy-drinking wine with abundant red fruit flavors of cherry and raspberry. Like Chardonnay and Aligoté, Gamay is a relation of the Pinot Noir grape. 13.5/20 Location: Bromley & Co. “I was imagining that we were going to see more carbonic styles, with really primary fruit, and in fact I thought a lot of these wines are for the longer haul. Well made,” wrote Crowther. For those not familiar, Beaujolais Nouveau was a marketing device to celebrate a race to market of just-fermented wine. They employed organic farming, old vines, careful sorting of berries and minimal or no sulphur additions. Certainly some oak. Photograph: James Morgan. What does Gamay pair with? The top half dozen wines are all single vineyard renditions, made in a traditional style, a comment that deserves elaboration. Location: Bromley & Co. Sebastian Crowther, Tess Murray, Stephanie Jacob, Gilles Lapalus, Loic Avril and Natasha Johns. Jacob noted that this character was present in Australian gamay more pervasively in years past, and particularly in benchmark examples, but that “it was managed very well in these wines.”. Palate has great shape and flow. Photograph: James Morgan. Prior to devoting himself to his own business, Crowther was the Beverage Director for the Rockpool Dining Group. What is the Tasting Challenge? Photograph: James Morgan. Sebastian Crowther is one of only five Master Sommeliers in Australia, having passed the notoriously difficult test in 2013. The best red wines show depth in smell, balance, flavor and finish. “Glace cherries, bramble and a touch of smoke. Rather, the aim was to find wines of interest and character. It is sometimes used to make rosés as well as sparkling wines such as Cerdon de Bugey. Gamay ripens a bit earlier than pinot noir, and it can produce a bit of a higher crop, so it’s suited to cool conditions where vigour and ripeness are moderated. Murray described the nose as, “pure fruited, bramble, black cherry, yet all lifted and bright in form.” She continued, “Super-attractive lavender violet spice (fragrant). “A similar style to wines from Beechworth. 2007 Fleurie Gamay Both Crowther and Jacob included this in their top-six lists. Young Gun of Wine is your shortcut to cutting edge wines, the places to go, and the people behind it all. Nouveau’s heyday was in the 70s and 80s, long before food miles became an issue of conscience. Lots to love about this wine,” wrote Johns. The below notes are comprised of the wines that made a final list of six from each of the tasters. Gamay originally from the Beaujolais region, is also found in many other regions around the world such as the Loire Valley, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries. And it is an ancient varietal, the first known written mention of it dates back to the 14th century. Gamay is not widely or heavily planted in Australia, but it is quite the buzz variety, with progressive winemakers, both established and newly minted, pursuing the variety with great vigour. A very good example of gamay with some Asian spices on the finish,” commented Avril. This was not an exercise in technical perfection or to champion one style over another, nor was it a search for profundity. 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