Spotlight on Gamay
By Zach Turner, May 2020
Gamay is grape variety near and dear to our hearts, with a fascinating history. Originally part of Burgundian daily life, Gamay was outlawed in 1395 by the tyrannical Duke Philip the Bold who preferred Pinot Noir so much, he jailed anyone who grew it, and required all Gamay vines be ripped from the ground.
Pinot Noir was traditionally the wine of royalty, and Gamay from places like Beaujolais became known as working class wine. In the US we tend to think of Beaujolais not as a region, but the fruity, tart, inexpensive wine released and celebrated the 3rd Thursday of each November. That’s thanks in part to some great marketing (Beaujolais Nouveau!) and newer French laws allowing the release of young wine. It’s simple, one-dimensional, and can be a lot of fun. Nonetheless, it’s a drinker, not a thinker.
An unexpected benefit of that marketing is the attention it brought to the region of Beaujolais, and the Cru-level Gamay wines that rival the best of Burgundy. The grapes are meticulously farmed in mostly granite soils on steep hillsides. They age and express terroir beautifully, and have become gems on fine wine lists and favorites of sommeliers for their elegance, structure, sense of place, and ability to pair with countless dishes.
This raised profile for Gamay piqued the interest of a handful of intrepid farmers in off-the-beaten-path regions. Growers like Ron Mansfield of Gold Bud Farms committed to realizing the potential of Gamay in the El Dorado AVA. With its granite soils, hot days, and cold nights, El Dorado has conditions ideal for growing world-class Gamay.
Chris and Sarah spent several years in El Dorado (where I first had the pleasure of working with Chris) and source Gamay from the Mansfields. Antonio Galloni just awarded 92 points to Gros Ventre’s 2018 Gamay, which was quite an honor, seeing as how Gamay-based wines rarely rate above the 80’s. Just 4 barrels of the 2018 Gamay El Dorado were made, and we included some in your Fall 2019 shipment. Open it now – it’s drinking awesome. If you’d like to get your hands on some more bottles, we’ve made some available for purchase at grosventrecellars.com.