August Wine Focus: Gamay - Beaujolais and beyond

The timing of this re-post was good because I was already thinking about Beaujolais tonight due to the bottle of 2013 Chamonard Morgon that I was drinking. It started off slow with a bit of reduction, but with decanting it eventually showed the soft jeweled florals and the slightly-silky texture that I expect from Chamonard, all in a mid-weight 2013 frame. It was delicious and fun, if not amazing. Although there was some tannin so I wonder how it will age. But given that this was my last bottle, that will have to remain wonder and conjecture.

Either way, yes, this will never compete with Burgundy for delicacy and complexity, but it does really well in its own game.

Last night was 2013 Foillard Morgon Côte du Py, and this bottle was very easy to drink from the beginning. Crisp silky elegant Foillard. Not the most expansive vintage, but also not as tart as 2012. And it was very harmonious and drinking beautifully in a condensed mid-weight/mid-range type of way. Kudos for the seamless harmony!

[Jenise]

And last night we drank a 2012 Foillard Corcelette. Straight from the fridge so colder than perfectly desirable but still with that beneficial chill as it warmed up, it was pleasingly full of spice with a green streak in it I don't recall from prior bottles but nor do I dislike that. It's just different.

[Jenise]

And lastly, this:

2010 Thevenet Morgon Vielles Vignes: Second bottle of two purchased from same source. As David Bueker warned me might be the case, this was not the brettbomb the first bottle was, rather it was spicy berry and white pepperish. Color closer to brown than red, though, and the wine was cloudy and not particularly pleasing to look at for something from vintage 2010. After sipping at a first glass and not feeling rewarded, we ran the other half the bottle through a coffee filter. The resulting wine was definitely improved--clearer and on the palate more precise without seeming polished into modernity, yet it failed to have enough flavor to last through a glass and we dumped the rest. Sigh.

2010 Thevenet Morgon Vielles Vignes: Color closer to brown than red, though...

Ouch! Sorry to hear that.

Here are two more which provide just what I want in young Gamay; refreshing with savoury fruit and tangy acidity.

2015 Château Préty Mâcon - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon (9/11/2016)
Nice medium bodied Mâcon for quaffing full of lively red fruit, moreish tangy acidity and earthy minerals. Without food a slightly tart note appears on the finish. Good.


2014 Domaine des Marrains Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chiroubles (9/12/2016)
Nose a bit shy but an invigorating medium bodied palate of savoury complexion with intense tangy red fruit, leather hints, fresh minerals and lively acidity. Moreish and good.

Posted from CellarTracker

I thought of posting this on the current Loire Cabernet franc WF as Robin has given a dispensation to post on other Loire red varieties if there was difficulty in finding CabFranc. That is hardly my case and it seems more interseting as a variant on the Gamay story. So here it is.

The owners claim that the variety used is Gamay Saint-Romain. I'm not sure how this differs from simple Gamay. It comes from the upper Loire valley but is much closer to the Beaujolais region than to the the core of the Loire region round Tours. It is only about 100km from Mâcon and on the same latitude whereas Tours is over 400km away following the river and is much further north. The nearby small town, Roanne, has been home for as long as I can remember to the Michelin 3 star restaurant Troisgros, which has helped in gaining some recognition for the Gamay based wines from the Côte Roannaise and nearby Côtes de Forez.

2015 Les Sommets de Loire Côte Roannaise Altitude 430 - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Côte Roannaise (11/2/2016)
This is an absolutely delicious quaff full of fruit (raspberry, black currant mainly), minerals and touches of spice with tangy acidity, medium/light body and light structure supporting decent length. Best, IMO, at cellar temperature. Good++ and wonderful QPR at €6,50.

Posted from CellarTracker