Grand Cru (Perth) Tasting Group - 5 Dec 2018 – Gamay

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

This was the blurb that Grand Cru members received to entice them to this event:
“Ahhh, the quirky and eminently drinkable Gamay grape! The stalwart of traditional Beaujolais, the wine region located immediately south of Burgundy, Beaujolais is one of the few French wines that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Think of Gamay as the cheeky little bro alternative to soft reds that is delightfully quaffable and much more affordable.
Much of the Gamay wine produced in Beaujolais is sold (and imbibed) before the vintage year is over.
Gamay is also abundant in the Loire Valley around Tours, and is gaining prominence with winemakers willing to give it a go in the Niagara peninsula in Canada, Oregon in the USA, and parts of other New World Countries including us here in Oz!”

We ended up with a mix of Old and New World examples to try:

Sorrenberg 2017 (Beechworth Victoria, 13.3% alc). Pale crimson in colour. The nose is complex and shows under-ripe cherries, cherry cola, a touch of pepper, and lots of peripheral aromas – cloves, wild thyme, mint and nutmeg. The palate has modest tannins and good acid, supporting the gentle fruits flowing over the palate. It has reasonable length and on the whole is well balanced. The wine is gentle, but not simple. A good start to this tasting.

Te Mata 2017 (Hawkes Bay NZ 12.5% alc). Pale crimson but slightly darker than the Sorrenberg. The nose is full of confected raspberry, strawberry, and modest oak. It’s light bodied, fresh and cordial-like with a touch of greenness. There was lots of comments about Allen’s lollies, and there’s obvious signs of carbonic maceration. There’s also some savoury elements.

Rising 2017 (Yarra Valley Victoria 12.5%). Pale crimson and quite bright in the glass. Still the darkest of the first three wines. Initially this was quite smoky, with eucalypt bushfire. Underneath, there’s some dark cherry, lantana, rhubarb, capsicum and a touch of earthiness. The palate is tart and acidic, with grippy tannins. Medium length, but a bit disjointed.

Meadowbank 2017 (Tasmania, 12.5% alc). Dark red/purple, pinot-like in appearance. A large whiff of sulphur blew off eventually to reveal lots of dark fruits. The palate has lots of raspberry and sour cherry. Fine tannins and considerable tartness is offset by the gentle flow of fruit. The group felt that the wine needs more time.

Thick As Thieves 2016 (King Valley Victoria, 13.4%) I could describe some of the features of the wine, but it’s going back to the shop tomorrow – strongly medicinal / Band Aid indicated significant brett. The wine was a little cloudy also, which may indicate bacteriological spoilage. We hope a replacement bottle shows better. Bottled under screwcap.

Domaine De Fa 2015 (Fleurie, Beaujolais, France). Purple in colour. Cocoa / choc, developed raisin characters, and licorice. Some hints of VA and brett weren’t enough to detract significantly from the wine. The palate was relatively rich, with velvety tannins and good acidity. Well regarded by the group, but needs time.

Foillard 2014 (Morgon, Beaujolais, France, 12.5% alc). Red/purple. Red and sout cherries, musk sticks (hinting at carbonic maceration), strawberry and choc/mint. The palate has strawberry and cherry fruit, and is quite pinot like – fine tannins, a bright and juicy palate, and reasonable length. There’s a hint of VA, and a touch of barnyard. Despite these latter factors, the group was very taken with this wine.

Chateau Thillardon 2010 (Beaujolais, France). Double decanted a few hours before pouring. Purple/red in colour. The nose was somewhat muted and stripped. What remained was raisins and tertiary fruits, dried cranberries, and the fruit is confected. The palate is sour and acidic, with dark fruits. The wine is likely corked, but not heavily – not at its best however.

An interesting line-up – 4 Australian, one Kiwi, 3 Beaujolais. All three Beaujolais were suffering different levels of wine fault, yet the Foillard 2014 was voted wine of the night. Sometimes ,the faults are minor, and add complexity, rather than detracting from or totally wrecking the wine.

Cheers
Allan

[Mark Carrington]

Foillard is top notch, though with ‘natural ‘ wine tendencies. His wines age way & the Côre du Py is worth the extra.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Very interesting Allan, thanks for the tasting notes.

Was there any discussion about aging these Gamay/Beaujolais wines?

[Waiters Friend]

Foillard is top notch, though with ‘natural ‘ wine tendencies. His wines age way & the Côre du Py is worth the extra.

The wine we tasted was the Cote Du Py. I should have included this information.

[Waiters Friend]

Very interesting Allan, thanks for the tasting notes.

Was there any discussion about aging these Gamay/Beaujolais wines?

Not as much as I anticipated, Mahmoud. It was probably reflected in the vintages that people brought - mostly very young.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Allan, what I meant was did people talk about the cellaring potential of the wines they brought and gamay in general.

[JamieBahrain]

Gamay is also abundant in the Loire Valley around Tours, and is gaining prominence with winemakers willing to give it a go in the Niagara peninsula in Canada, Oregon in the USA, and parts of other New World Countries including us here in Oz!”

I had lunch with Jeff Burch of Howard Park yesterday with my tasting group. He's gone long on gamay re-grafting sauvignon blanc holdings. Heaps of West Aussie gamay on the way!

Incidentally, he's going keen on doing a SC versus Cork event with his wines for us and his Grand Cru Burgundy which he bottles privately under SC versus selling it in cork.

[Waiters Friend]

Allan, what I meant was did people talk about the cellaring potential of the wines they brought and gamay in general.

They did to an extent, Mahmoud, and occasionally this is reflected in the tasting notes, especially the "too young" comments. Only the last wine was questioned for perhaps being a little past it.

[Waiters Friend]

Gamay is also abundant in the Loire Valley around Tours, and is gaining prominence with winemakers willing to give it a go in the Niagara peninsula in Canada, Oregon in the USA, and parts of other New World Countries including us here in Oz!”

I had lunch with Jeff Burch of Howard Park yesterday with my tasting group. He's gone long on gamay re-grafting sauvignon blanc holdings. Heaps of West Aussie gamay on the way!

Incidentally, he's going keen on doing a SC versus Cork event with his wines for us and his Grand Cru Burgundy which he bottles privately under SC versus selling it in cork.

Jamie, that's intriguing. I'm a big fan of Howard Park wines (as you may have gathered over the past few years on this forum). As you probably know, HP source grapes from the Great Southern and Margaret River regions. I wonder if HP is grafting gamay onto some of its Great Southern vines, as I imagine the Great Southern (and specifically Denmark) would be ideal for Gamay (and Margaret River might not be).

By the way, the screwcap vs cork tasting would be fascinating. I have a few of the Marchand and Burch Burgundies (not Grand Cru though, some Premier Cru) in the cellar, and some are screwcap, some cork.

Cheers
Allan

[JamieBahrain]

I'm not sure Allan. It was a huge amount and I just don't want to be a goose and misquote.