I’m going to begin focusing on Gamay a bit over the next few months, because it’s an underdog grape that really intrigues me.
So, here we go, with the first wine in this focus. [Actually, I may have to go back to the RPM Gamay I reviewed a few days ago and make that the first in the series. So this is Gamay focus, 2.] This is such a good wine. When I tried it, its vivid peppery black fruits made me think of the Northern Rhone. Well, it turns out that this wine was in previous vintages labelled as Cuvee Cote Rotie, which reflects its flavour profile but which is a bit naughty, so it had to be changed.
Domaine Metrat Chiroubles ‘La Scandaleuse’ 2013 Beaujolais, France
13% alcohol. Full cherry red colour. Sweet, slightly spicy, subtly meaty black cherry fruit nose with a peppery brightness. Almost Syrah-like. Serious, fairly dense palate with red cherries, raspberries, black cherries, a bit of pepper and some savoury herbal notes. Combines elegance and structure, with a lovely stony, mineral, dusty peppery spine. 93/100 (£14.50 Berry Bros & Rudd)
Find this wine with wine-searcher.com
- Gamay 1 – RPM Gamay Noir California
- Gamay 2 – Domaine Metrat Chiroubles ‘La Scandaleuse’
- Gamay 3 – Orofino, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
- Gamay 4 – Julien Sunier Fleurie
- Gamay 5- Radford Dale Thirst Gamay, South Africa
- Gamay 6 – Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières ‘Les Impénitents’
- Gamay 7 – Hauts de Chasselay, Coteaux du Lyonnais
- Gamay 8 – Serol Les Originelles, Cote Roannaise
- Gamay 9 – Te Mata Gamay Noir, Hawkes Bay
- Gamay 10 – Puy de Dome, Auvergne
- Gamay 11 – Beauregard Fleurie
- Gamay 12 – Antoine Sunier Morgon 2014 and Regnie 2014
- Gamay 13 – Thibault Liger-Belair Les Roucheaux 2011
- Gamay 14 – Bow and Arrow 2014 Oregon
Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone about Beaujolais. I drank Foillard’s “Cuvée Corcelette” 2011 last night. Incredible wine. I always keep a large stock of Cru Beaujolais at the house. I love the look of “Are you really serving Beaujolais to us?” from our friends.
I had the chance to visit last month and while at Clos de la Roilette (another fantastic property), they made an interesting comment saying that the wines will change depending on the climate and wind patterns of a particular year. They will either get red fruit aromatics and elegance of Burgundy or more brash, black fruit gaminess of the Cotes du Rhone.