May Wine Focus: GaMAY!

Here is another enjoyable and competitively priced cru Beaujolais.

2017 Domaine Matray Côte de Brouilly Les Terres Bleues - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly (19/05/2020)
This is just what I want from modestly priced (c.€7) Beaujolais. Medium/light bodied with tangy fruit, flinty minerals and lively acidity, it slips down the gullet all too easily. Côte de Brouilly can produce more structured wines than this, but that would come at a higher price and is not what I need on an everyday basis. Good.
Posted from CellarTracker

Now that the lockdown has eased, I'll see if I can find a Gamay based wine from a region other than Beaujolais or the Loire valley. I think that there are some produced in Savoie but other French regions from where I may source them escape me. Gamay is also quite widely planted in Switzerland but fat chance of finding one of those here!

[David M. Bueker]

Sipping a lovely 2016 Division Wine Co. Gamay right now. Notes forthcoming, but it’s a nice counterpoint to my chickpea masala dinner.

[Jenise]

Two from last night:

2017 Paul Durdilly Beaujolais Les Grandes Coasses Gamay
Mild funk on the nose, very grapey on the palate with mild sourness and Bazooka bubble gum. Yuck, we dumped it. In fact, this is the third (one per year) we've dumped. Thank god I don't have any more. Ownership of these was the unfortunate incident wherein an importer tasting at a friend's home resulted in ordering a different Durdilly cuvee from 2016 which, it turned out, the warehouse was out of when his order came in. So they subbed this instead. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Here's what we drank instead:

2013 Marcel Lapierre Morgon Gamay
Perfectly acceptable but not great. Couldn't help mentally comparing it to the '12 Foillard a few nights ago, and this seemed dull for the lack of spice/complexity and mature notes.

[Jenise]

Addendum: apparently we didn't dump the Durdilly, Bob just set it aside. When I discovered the open bottle yesterday morning, I automatically sniffed it--a mere 15 hours after being opened, it was total vinegar. Not just lightly so, all the way. That's actually great, because I have another vinegar project going. It won't go to waste, unlike most dud bottles.

[David M. Bueker]

• 2016 Division Winemaking Company Gamay Noir Renardiere Redford-Wetle Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (5/21/2020)
  A couple of years ago I said this needed 2-3 years in the cellar. I'm such a smart guy!
  
  It's still red-fruit dominated, but it has picked up light earthy tones, and shows some citrus elements on the edges, making it much more complex, but still mostly Gamay fun. I like this right where it is now. Drink up and smile.

Noëlla Morantin 2018 Touraine Gamay La Boudinerie, $21
Delightful. It has pretty aromas of strawberries, roses and minerals, followed by pretty flavors of strawberry, minerals, herbs and earth. Smooth and balanced with vibrant acidity. Really sings. Excellent match with a variety of cheeses, hummus and olives. I’ve always been a fan of Clos Roche Blanche’s gamays (and other bottlings) and as I understand it, she took over their vineyards when they retired. This is the first Morantin I’ve had, but it won’t be the last.

Pierre-Marie Chermette 2018 Beaujolais Origine Vieilles Vignes, $18
Opened this after the Morantin and it has richer fruit, as one might expect — more red and black cherry, rather than strawberry — but with similar floral accents on the nose, and mineral, herb and earth accents on the palate. It’s bigger than the Morantin, but still is medium- to light-bodied, with great acidity, smooth texture and a bit more structure. I’m not sure if this is the same as Chermette’s “Ancien” VV or a different bottling, but it’s similarly enjoyable.

[David M. Bueker]

I used to be able to find Chermette with little difficulty. No more. Sad, as I like their wines.

Sorry about that. I'm fortunate that Peter Weygandt opened a retail store in D.C., near where I live, and they've got a good order online or by phone with contactless pickup system going right now. I miss the tastings but nice to be able to still buy good wine and, hopefully, keep them in business.

[David M. Bueker]

Well that’s why I can’t get them. Weygandt does zero distribution business up this way.

At least I know now.

It is interesting to contrast this €13 Brouilly with the €7 Côte de Brouilly on which I posted a few days. Côte de B has the reputation for more structured and serious wines than Brouilly, but here it was the other way round.

2016 Domaine du Vissoux / Pierre-Marie Chermette Brouilly Pierreux - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (22/05/2020)
This wine has improved a lot since the previous about 18 months ago. It has opened up into a sturdy medium++ bodied Brouilly bursting with savoury berry fruit and fine minerals together with overtones of ivy and leather backed up by moreish acidity and firm structure and I no longer perceive shortness on the finish. Very good.
Posted from CellarTracker


At the same time as buying this Brouilly 2016 I bought a Fleurie Les Garants 2016. The Brouilly has taken nearly 4 years to really show its stuff and about 2 years ago the Fleurie was quite sulky. I hope that, when I get to my remaining bottle, it will have blossomed like the Brouilly.

[David M. Bueker]

2019 ESJ Bone-Jolly Ga-May tonight!

Yummy, as the Bone-Jolly always is. The fruit is distinctly strawberry. The finish turns toward red cherry. Refreshing and as more-ish as always.

2013 Marcel Lapierre Morgon Gamay
Perfectly acceptable but not great...

Doesn't that sum up Lapierre in general? Do you find greatness (even within context of Beaujolais) in the wines sometimes? (Admittedly, I don't follow every vintage, but that's been my typecast summary for Lapierre for a while now)

It is interesting to contrast this €13 Brouilly with the €7 Côte de Brouilly on which I posted a few days. Côte de B has the reputation for more structured and serious wines than Brouilly, but here it was the other way round..

I'm guessing that in this case, producer played a big role in that?

[Jenise]

Doesn't that sum up Lapierre in general? Do you find greatness (even within context of Beaujolais) in the wines sometimes? (Admittedly, I don't follow every vintage, but that's been my typecast summary for Lapierre for a while now)

It just might. I fell in love with Beaujolais with the '09 vintage, and the Lapierre was exceptional that year. Not perhaps as great vivid and complex as the Foillards which were the seeds of my epiphany, but still, extremely good. I have not been as wowed since, though I still hear Lapierre touted in the top tier.

It just might. I fell in love with Beaujolais with the '09 vintage, and the Lapierre was exceptional that year. Not perhaps as great vivid and complex as the Foillards which were the seeds of my epiphany, but still, extremely good. I have not been as wowed since, though I still hear Lapierre touted in the top tier.

I'm hesitant to take too aggressive of a stance here, without much recent tasting experience. But I don't hear much about Lapierre in my crowds and I think it depends how many people you include in the 'top tier'!

Lapierre was certainly one of the front names in the marketing push for drinking more fresh 'natural' wines 10-15 years ago. The trendy-ness of the label may have waned, but the production is still high and they probably grab name recognition among a certain segment of the non-geek wine drinking public.

It would be interesting to see how production evolved over the years. But right now, a snapshot from the KLWM website shows a big difference between Lapierre (8,000 cases per year with 20 hectares of land) and Foillard (2,500 cases per year with 35.3 hectares of land). And Foillard has evolved into quite the brand in his own right!

I've had several Lapierre Morgons, most of them at around 9-10 years of age and liked them very much, but wasn't blown away either and can't weigh in on the debate of them vs. Foillard, for example. What I will say is that the Lapierre Raisins Gaulois bottling is the best $15 bottle of Beaujolais (even if it's not labeled as such) out there. Glou glou up the wazoo.

[David M. Bueker]

It would be interesting to see how production evolved over the years. But right now, a snapshot from the KLWM website shows a big difference between Lapierre (8,000 cases per year with 20 hectares of land) and Foillard (2,500 cases per year with 35.3 hectares of land). And Foillard has evolved into quite the brand in his own right!

That's strange land/cases numbers, especially Foillard. Willi Schaefer makes as many cases from 1/10 the vineyard acreage, and without excess yields.

It would be interesting to see how production evolved over the years. But right now, a snapshot from the KLWM website shows a big difference between Lapierre (8,000 cases per year with 20 hectares of land) and Foillard (2,500 cases per year with 35.3 hectares of land). And Foillard has evolved into quite the brand in his own right!

That's strange land/cases numbers, especially Foillard. Willi Schaefer makes as many cases from 1/10 the vineyard acreage, and without excess yields.

Yes. I wouldn't swear by the numbers but it still seemed reasonable to infer that Lapierre squeezes a lot more bottles out of their land.

The text on the KLWM website says Lapierre has 11 hectares, but the calculations add up to 20. The Foillard page has a confusing way of adding the numbers, so they might be listing the same number for all Morgon cuvees, in which case it would only be 18.1 hectares. Don't have time to track down a more authoritative source right now. Either way I prefer Foillard, although I may buy a bottle or two of Lapierre to re-acquaint myself.

[Jenise]

I've had several Lapierre Morgons, most of them at around 9-10 years of age and liked them very much, but wasn't blown away either and can't weigh in on the debate of them vs. Foillard, for example. What I will say is that the Lapierre Raisins Gaulois bottling is the best $15 bottle of Beaujolais (even if it's not labeled as such) out there. Glou glou up the wazoo.

I helped drain a magnum of the Raisins Gaulois once. LOVED IT.

[Jenise]

Last night we opened the second and last of the 2012 Yvon Metras Fleurie we brought home from a wine shop in Fleurie. I recall that the store was fairly warm inside and the Metras were on the wall that got the afternoon sun. Well, this bottle sucked just like the last one and that warm store might be why. Cloudy strawberry-ness that got worse in every way as it sat in the glass. I had a '10 Burgaud standing by as a backup, but quickly decided to just make it a dry night.

[David M. Bueker]

• 2009 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Morgon - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (5/27/2020)
  Alcoholic mess devoid of any substantial substance. From outstanding provenance and storage. Dead.

[David M. Bueker]

Quick! Open another wine!

• 2018 Edmunds St. John Gamay Noir Bone-Jolly - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County (5/27/2020)
  I was immediately startled when I poured it, as the color was only slightly deeper than the Rosé. Completely translucent, and about the same shade as a red cherry, it startled again with the intensity of the aromatics. Dark strawberry, cherry, floral and lightly stony, as if rocks were being rubbed together, it carried multiples of what the color suggested. On the palate it played more as an amped up Rosé, until the herb infused finish, which carried on until the strawberry/cherry fruit took over to linger far longer than many a darker wine. Quite the shocker in many respects, and a truly distinctive wine.

[Jenise]

2010 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py Reserve Gamay
LOVED this. Murky dull purple in color. On the palate, perfectly mature with earth, soft cherry and strawberry, allspice, and white pepper. Served this with dinner on the patio last night. Started with roasted mushrooms which, when cool, were stuffed with a good tart chevre. There almost could NOT be a better food for this wine. As expected, it really showed the bright and earthy aspects.

Then we segued into the main course, a vegan salad of sliced cooked potatoes, peas, loads of fresh tarragon, chives, flat leaf parsley, arugula, mizuna, red mustard, red sorel, tatsoi and other spicy greens I'm growing, all dressed with just fresh lemon juice, EVOO and maldon salt. Not an intuitive match for an old Beaujolais, I don't think, we were just eating the food we wanted with the wine we wanted to drink which is a whole different mission. But the sweetness of the peas and the complex herbaceousness popped the fruit and spice in the wine--we hadn't noticed the white pepper at all. Inadvertently and unexpectedly, as interesting a pairing as the mushrooms.

Don't let anyone tell you that wine and salad don't go together!

[David M. Bueker]

Nice! I have the two 2010 named cuvees, James and Javernières. Maybe it's finally time to get some enjoyment out of them.