{"title":"Gamay","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"patrick-bottex-bugey-cerdon-nv","title":"Patrick Bottex Bugey Cerdon NV","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rocky limestone slopes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElevation:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-altitude hamlets in the Bugey region\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrape:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90% Gamay, 10% Poulsard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e Méthode ancestrale; direct press of grapes, natural fermentation in cuve, bottled partway through fermentation, secondary fermentation in bottle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFarming Practices:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-harvested grapes, sustainable farming\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Notes:\u003c\/strong\u003e This delightful rosé sparkles in the glass with a deep pink hue, offering ambrosial fragrances of alpine strawberries and roses. It presents a playful dance over the palate, balancing a touch of sweetness with crisp acidity and a refreshing mineral finish.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePairing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perfect as an aperitif or with a cheese board, and equally delightful with desserts like crème brûlée with a berry compote.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Wine:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nestled in the Bugey region of France’s Savoie region, Patrick Bottex's vineyards are a testament to the labor-intensive farming required in this steep, mountainous terrain. The wine, crafted using the rare méthode ancestrale, is a celebration of the region's unique terroir, showcasing the potential of these steep, stony lands. Despite its light-hearted nature, this sparkling rosé is a product of serious terroir, embodying the festive spirit of the region.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Empire","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44547024158943,"sku":"","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PB240340.jpg?v=1700874863"},{"product_id":"marcel-lapierre-le-beaujolais-2023","title":"Marcel Lapierre \"Le Beaujolais\" 2023","description":"","brand":"Empire","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46191657287903,"sku":"","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8020696.jpg?v=1722709260"},{"product_id":"domaine-charnay-beaujolais-2023","title":"Domaine Charnay Beaujolais 2023","description":"","brand":"Anvil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46458239713503,"sku":"","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/Media.jpg?v=1695755586"},{"product_id":"bow-arrow-rhinestones-red-2022","title":"Bow \u0026 Arrow Rhinestones Red 2022","description":"","brand":"Yes Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46848604831967,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P3220724.jpg?v=1742684299"},{"product_id":"domaine-olivier-merlin-moulin-a-vent-la-rochelle-2022","title":"Domaine Olivier Merlin Moulin-a-Vent La Rochelle 2022","description":"","brand":"Misa Colorado","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47020321571039,"sku":"","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P5281209.jpg?v=1748462605"},{"product_id":"yohan-lardy-moulin-a-vent-les-michelons-2023","title":"Yohan Lardy Moulin-a-Vent Les Michelons 2023","description":"","brand":"S\u0026M","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47399041040607,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9091891.jpg?v=1757469525"},{"product_id":"darling-baytree-lane-vineyard-gamay-2024","title":"Darling Baytree Lane Vineyard Gamay 2024","description":"","brand":"Few \u0026 Far Wine Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47399086063839,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9091881.jpg?v=1757469284"},{"product_id":"amevive-ravie-2024","title":"Amevive “Ravie” 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eA blend of 55% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre - it is about 80% whole cluster in total.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Craft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47465997598943,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA072125.jpg?v=1759888647"},{"product_id":"yohan-lardy-chenas-au-buchonet-pauline-2023","title":"Yohan Lardy Chenas \"Au Buchonet\" Pauline 2023","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe Land\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eChénas is the smallest (and one of the highest-lying) appellations in Beaujolais, perched on steep, granitic slopes where thin, sandy decomposed granite overlays hard crystalline bedrock. “Au Buchonet” sits on a northeast-facing rise near the border with Moulin-à-Vent, a sector known for lighter topsoils and exceptional drainage that naturally limits vigor. Vines here—often 40–70 years old—build concentration without heaviness, producing Gamay with an uncommon mix of finesse and depth. Organic farming is practiced across Yohan Lardy’s holdings, with grasses maintained between rows, no chemical herbicides, and handwork on the steeper parcels. Elevation and exposure work together to protect acidity in warm vintages like 2023, giving the wine its lifted, red-fruited profile.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e“Pauline” is fermented from whole clusters in concrete, following a semi-carbonic approach that preserves aromatic purity while allowing for fine, structural tannin. Maceration is gentle, relying more on infusion than extraction, and élevage continues in concrete to maintain precision and avoid any oak influence. The 2023 vintage shows ripe red cherry, wild strawberry, and faint violet notes, framed by the granite’s hallmark mineral edge. The palate is supple but not soft: moderate tannins, bright acidity, and a clean, savory finish that leans toward crushed stone and subtle spice. It drinks as an elegant, high-altitude expression of Chénas rather than a weightier, Moulin-à-Vent-styled rendition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe People\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eYohan Lardy farms old vines across Moulin-à-Vent, Juliénas, Fleurie, and Chénas, working entirely by hand and focusing on organic methods and low-input winemaking. He gravitates toward small, characterful parcels—some planted by his father and grandfather—that showcase the diversity of Beaujolais’ granitic soils. Yohan is part of the region’s younger, highly quality-driven generation: native yeasts, minimal sulfur, long fermentations, and no new wood. “Au Buchonet” is one of his most personal cuvées, drawn from a favored old-vine plot and bottled separately for its purity and poise. His wines consistently demonstrate how careful farming and restrained cellar work can elevate Gamay into something both transparent and complex.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"S\u0026M","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47494177980639,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/PA142179.jpg?v=1760494558"},{"product_id":"jean-foillard-fleurie-2022-1-5l","title":"Jean Foillard Fleurie 2022 1.5L","description":"","brand":"empire","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49023821775071,"sku":null,"price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P4250067.jpg?v=1777159255"},{"product_id":"yohan-lardy-moulin-a-vent-vieilles-vignes-de-1903-2024","title":"Yohan Lardy Moulin-a-Vent Vieilles Vignes de 1903 2024","description":"","brand":"S\u0026M","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49044424523999,"sku":null,"price":57.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P5010100.jpg?v=1777680113"},{"product_id":"yann-bertrand-morgon-dynamite-2023","title":"Yann Bertrand Morgon Dynamite 2023","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe Land\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost Morgon is defined by the Côte du Py and the decomposed schist that gives the cru its signature brooding depth. Morgon Dynamite is different. It comes from Grand Pré, a 7.5-hectare single block of estate vines sitting at the Fleurie-Morgon appellation boundary, with the vines that technically fall into Morgon giving this wine its name. The soils are fine, sandy granite: lighter, more porous, and more lifted than the iron-rich volcanic rock on the Py. Vine age ranges from 30 to 110 years. In character, this wine belongs to Fleurie's aromatic world as much as it does to Morgon's, which sets it apart from the appellation's heavier, more structured expressions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Gamay, whole-cluster carbonic fermentation with native yeasts. No sulfur is added at any stage. What's striking is how clean the wine presents: not because of intervention, but because the farming is precise enough that healthy fruit arrives at the cellar without needing protection. The 2023 vintage ran cooler than 2022 and 2021, restoring the natural acidity and freshness that defines classic Beaujolais at its best. Hail on August 13 required strict fruit selection before harvest opened in early September. The result is red cherry, crushed rose petal, a light granite mineral thread, and a crunchy, sapid finish with real length.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe People\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYann Bertrand grew up in Fleurie as the son of a vigneron but didn't set out to make wine. Working in wine bars and shops in Lyon introduced him to Beaujolais's natural wine movement, and from there he sought out its foundational figures: Jean Foillard, Yvon Metras, and Jacques Neauport, who was Jules Chauvet's right-hand man and the scientist who formalized the principles behind whole-cluster, low-sulfur winemaking in the region. Yann founded his domaine in 2012, received organic certification in 2013, and has since extended biodynamic practices to 1.5 hectares. A small négociant operation launched in 2016 after tight harvests, using purchased fruit from growers held to the same farming standards. His wines represent the natural evolution of what started in Beaujolais decades ago: cleaner and more precise than the generation before, without losing the vitality that defined the movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChill it slightly and bring it to the table. Thin-crust pizza with roasted mushrooms and fontina, a charcuterie board anchored by saucisson sec and sharp mustard, grilled salmon with a lemon-herb vinaigrette, or roast chicken with fresh thyme. Low tannin and bright acidity make it work wherever you'd reach for a good rosé, but with more depth and texture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anvil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49638015762655,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P5280205.jpg?v=1780011425"},{"product_id":"domaine-didon-bourgogne-gamay-2023","title":"Domaine Didon Bourgogne Gamay 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChassey-le-Camp sits at the cool northern fringe of the Côte Chalonnaise, not the sunnier core where Mercurey and Givry hold court, but the quieter, hillier outskirts where Gamay ripens slowly and the acid stays sharp. The village is tucked into a fold in the landscape at roughly 270 meters above sea level, surrounded by cereal fields, orchards, and scattered vineyard parcels — countryside that looks and feels far removed from the polished estates of the Côte d'Or just 20 kilometers north. Soils here are clay-limestone, typical of the Chalonnaise, with the limestone content high enough to give the Gamay a texture and structure more commonly associated with Pinot Noir. Southeast-facing slopes keep ripening steady; the altitude keeps the wine from going soft. This is Gamay with Côte d'Or sensibility, made in a corner of Burgundy few people think to look.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Gamay, hand-harvested and fermented whole-cluster in fiberglass tanks. Maceration runs 10 days with minimal extraction, no punching down, no pumping over, which gives the tannins their fineness. Aged 9 to 12 months in old Burgundy barrels between 5 and 15 years old. Zero added sulfites, no fining, no filtration. The 2023 growing season was generous and consistent across Burgundy, producing ripe, pure fruit without the concentration fatigue of some warmer vintages. Fresh cherry and raspberry on the nose, a thread of iron and dried herbs in the middle, dry and precise on the finish. This is not fruit-forward Gamay and not a wine for casual chugging; it's structured, site-specific, and benefits from a slight chill and something on the plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNaïma and David Didon founded their domaine in 2017, acquiring a 2-hectare parcel above Chassey-le-Camp called Les Vignes Blanches. For David, the domaine was the culmination of 20 years as chef de culture at Domaine de Montille in Volnay, one of the Côte de Beaune's benchmark estates, where he oversaw the conversion to biodynamics. His training goes back further, to the agrobiology school in Beaujeu, where he studied nature protection and biodynamic agriculture. The domaine is certified biodynamic, plowed with horses in early season to protect soil structure, and vinified with complete non-intervention: native yeasts throughout, nothing added at any stage, no fining, no filtration. Production is small, somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 bottles annually across a range that includes Aligoté, Pinot Blanc, and this Gamay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe structure here handles food better than most Gamay. Try it alongside a charcuterie spread with country-style pâté and cornichons, roast chicken thighs with herbs and garlic, duck leg confit with lentils, or a mushroom-and-fontina flatbread straight from the oven. Serve slightly chilled.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anvil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50485459517663,"sku":null,"price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6240460.jpg?v=1782412517"},{"product_id":"justin-dutraive-beaujolais-les-tours-saint-etienne-la-varenne-2024","title":"Justin Dutraive Beaujolais Les Tours Saint-Etienne la Varenne 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaint-Étienne-la-Varenne is a Beaujolais-Villages commune that presses right up against the Brouilly boundary, which means the village keeps a Villages label while farming slopes that behave like cru land. Les Tours comes from hillside vines there, on the decomposed granite that defines the southern crus. Granite drains hard and holds heat poorly, which is exactly what Gamay wants: it forces the vine to work, keeps yields honest, and puts a stony, mineral spine under fruit that can otherwise go soft. The exposure is a genuine slope rather than valley flat, and the position near Brouilly gives more structure and darker fruit than the flatter parcels below Fleurie where Justin Dutraive started.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGamay, farmed organically, and handled with unusual care from the moment it is cut. Fruit is picked into small bins and refrigerated before it goes into vat, which gets whole, cold, intact berries into the tank, the precondition for a clean semi-carbonic maceration. Fermentation happens in a sphere-shaped fiberglass tank mounted on an axis: rather than pumping over, Justin rotates the entire vessel, most often in the final days of maceration, building texture without grinding tannin out of the skins. The result is black cherry and cassis, crushed violet, wild thyme and a chalky, iron-flecked finish, with more grip than the appellation's reputation for lean wines suggests. 2024 was brutal in Beaujolais. Cool, wet weather in April and May delayed flowering, mildew and black rot pressure ran high through early summer, hail arrived at the end of June, and many growers brought in a fraction of a normal crop. What was bottled came out of severe selection and shows the lifted, light-footed side of Gamay.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJustin Dutraive is the eldest son of Jean-Louis Dutraive, and the family home and Domaine de la Grand'Cour in Fleurie are the same building. He grew up inside the conversation, with Jean Foillard, Yvon Métras and Sylvain Chanudet at the table. He interned with Foillard and Julie Balagny, worked harvests in Australia and in Oregon's Willamette Valley with Bill Holloran, then returned to work alongside his father. This is his own label, not a négociant bottling off the family domaine: he made his first solo vintage in 2015 from a leased plot below Fleurie that nobody else wanted and that was otherwise headed for the bulldozer. The whole domaine runs under two hectares, with only a few thousand bottles of each cuvée. He still works at Grand'Cour.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoq au vin with plenty of lardons; duck breast with a sour cherry pan sauce; a mushroom and Comté tart; steak frites with béarnaise. The acidity handles the fat, the fine granite tannin gives the duck and steak something to push against, and the wine's herbal edge picks up thyme and bay in a braise. Chill it 20 minutes. It is the red for the dinner you actually cooked.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anvil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51247712567519,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8220182.jpg?v=1787526007"},{"product_id":"bow-arrow-gamay-2024","title":"Bow \u0026 Arrow Gamay 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOregon's Willamette Valley is usually sold as America's Burgundy. Bow \u0026amp; Arrow reads the same ground as the Loire: a blue-collar farming valley of relatively simple, clay-dominated soils rather than a grand cru address. The 2024 Gamay draws mostly on the Eola-Amity Hills and the Chehalem Mountains. Eola-Amity sits on ancient uplifted marine basalt, its red Jory soils shallow and fast-draining, and the hills take the full force of the Van Duzer Corridor, the gap in the Coast Range that pulls cold Pacific air inland every afternoon and shuts ripening down at night. The Chehalem Mountains add windblown Laurelwood loess over basalt, a deeper and warmer soil. Basalt supplies the iron-filing grip, loess the fleshier middle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGamay Noir, vinified the way Beaujolais does it: traditional semi-carbonic maceration, run in concrete rather than steel or wood, which holds fermentation temperature steady and leaves no oak signature at all. Fruit forward, extraction kept low. Scott Frank's own note on this vintage is \"hard red candy crunch with a twist of cracked pepper,\" which is close to exact. Cranberry, pomegranate, crushed raspberry and violet, then black pepper and a ferrous edge on the finish. Tannin is fine and short; acidity carries the structure. 2024 gave Willamette growers the season they had waited for after a run of hot years: a wet winter and spring, rain at bloom that thinned the crop without hand-thinning, brief July and August heat spikes that landed while clusters were still green and sunburn-resistant, then a dry picking window from September 10 to October 16. Sugar accumulated slowly and acid stayed put.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScott Frank moved from New York to Portland in 2001 and started out buying wine for a grocery store, where local interpretations of Loire grapes got his attention. John Paul of Cameron Winery hired him as assistant winemaker in 2007, and in 2010 an offer of fruit he could not refuse started Bow \u0026amp; Arrow. There is no estate. The winery is subterranean, on Northeast Sandy Boulevard in Portland, and Frank buys from a small group of growers who agreed to graft over or plant Melon de Bourgogne, Gamay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc for him. His stated principles are drinkability and low intervention. It is the most coherent argument anyone in Oregon has made for the valley's non-Burgundian side.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe it at cellar temperature, around 55 degrees. Smoked pork chops with grainy mustard and braised red cabbage; a farro bowl with roasted mushrooms, thyme and lemon; salmon roasted over green lentils; a smash burger with sharp cheddar and pickles. Gamay's acidity cuts fat cleanly, and its light tannin never collides with oily fish the way a bigger red would. This is the bottle you open on a Tuesday without deciding it is a special occasion.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"LeDuc Wine Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51247712862431,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8220179.jpg?v=1787526007"},{"product_id":"domaine-de-la-grosse-pierre-chiroubles-grille-midi-2022","title":"Domaine Pauline Passot Chiroubles Grille-Midi 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChiroubles has a reputation as the lightest and earliest-drinking of the ten Beaujolais crus, and altitude is the reason. It is the highest cru, most vineyards between 250 and 450 meters, which in a cool year can leave Gamay thin. In a hot year it is the whole advantage. Grille-Midi is a recognized lieu-dit on the upper plateau of Chiroubles, worked by several growers in the village, and Pauline Passot's parcel there sits at roughly 480 meters, the highest ground she farms. The soil is pink granite, weathered in place to a coarse sand that drains fast and keeps vines from getting fat. South-facing, thin-soiled, and high: that combination is why this Chiroubles red holds its line in a vintage that cooked the valley floor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred percent Gamay from Chiroubles, picked by hand and fermented whole-bunch with semi-carbonic maceration and no added yeast. The estate wines rest 8 to 11 months in concrete, and Grille-Midi is the one cuvée that also sees time in large, older oak vessels, which rounds the texture without adding any oak flavor. Sulfur is held back until bottling. 2022 was one of the earliest vintages on record here: the harvest ban for red Beaujolais opened August 17, sixteen days ahead of the long-term average, after a July and August that ranked among the hottest and driest in three decades, with 43.5°C recorded in the shade in the southern Beaujolais on August 4. A localized April frost trimmed the crop. Dark cherry, crushed violet, wet granite, fine chalky tannin, a long saline finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePauline Passot came to Gamay sideways. She studied business, poured wine in a Dublin wine bar, and worked the floor as a sommelier at Pierre Orsi in Lyon until 2013, then did harvests in New Zealand and Chile before going back to Beaune to study winemaking. She started her own label in 2016 with less than a hectare of her grandfather Georges's old vines, and in 2018 took over winemaking at the family property, Domaine de la Grosse Pierre in Chiroubles, now producing around 40,000 bottles a year. She is the third generation on the estate, after Georges, who bought the property in the 1960s, and her parents Alain and Véronique. The vines are farmed organically. Her whole approach argues that Chiroubles can be a serious cru rather than a charming one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGranite-grown Gamay with this much acidity wants fat and smoke. Roast a duck breast, score the skin, render it hard in a dry pan, and finish it pink: the wine's tannin is fine enough to slide under the fat without fighting it. Coq au vin, built slowly with lardons and pearl onions, meets the dark cherry head-on. Grilled lamb chops with rosemary and coarse salt work for the same reason the duck does. And a plate of charcuterie with cornichons, where the wine's salinity does the job mustard would. Serve it at cellar temperature, around 58°F, on a weeknight when you want a bottle that drinks like it was thought about.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Doug Krenik Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51452400697567,"sku":null,"price":41.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9270428.jpg?v=1790548337"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/collections\/image_d83c21de-63cb-4db4-819a-f445a6c77742.jpg?v=1632675333","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/collections\/gamay.oembed","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}