Imagine you sit down on a balcony in Beaujolais, overlooking
a vinyard of Gamay to enjoy a glass of the same Gamay varietal wine. As you
take a sip of the transparent mauve of the wine, the taste of berries,
specifically cherry, and pepper begin to dance as your tongue. And, could it
be, a slight taste of banana? Beaujolais, a region in eastern France, is
world-renowned for it’s Gamay, and is one of very few places known for growing
this specific grape. Beaujolias lies within Burgundy, and is the predominant
area for growing this variety. This grape has a long history, as it has been growing in the
region since the 1400’s, specifically originating from the village of Gamay in
Beaune, France. It has been cited that the Lord’s of Burgundy actually banned
Gamay for a time because Pinot Noir was considered more refined, but now, of
course, this is no longer the case.
Fig. 1: Gamay on the vine
Not only is this region picturesque, but is one of the few
areas with an ideal climate for this variety. It’s growing season is warm
relative to other varieties, and it boasts a continental climate as opposed to
a meritime one. The terroir of the region boasts soil that is underlain with
granite, clay and limestone, typical of Northern France, which leads to a more
complexly flavored wine than many of the fruiter wines of the south which are
underlain with sandstone and clay. Part of this complexity comes from higher
acid levels and low tannins. This is because it is meant for early consumption
and is rarely aged in oak barrels. However, these light red wines still have
strong fruit flavors. This variety has jammy flavors which include red
cherries, strawberries, and maybe even hints of raspberry, banana or pepper. Lastly,
Gamay is known for ripening earlier than other wines, making it profitable at
at a time that other regional wines are not.
A bottle of 2008 Gamay Noir
Aside from all of this, maybe the most well-known
characteristic of Gamay varietal wines is their unconventional way of
fermentation. Gamay is also renowned for going through carbonic maceration.
This process differs from traditional fermentation, because instead of crushing
the grapes and letting the juice ferment, the grapes are placed in carbon
dioxide rich containers where the juice ferments inside of the grapes (up to 2%
of the total alcohol), while gravity crushes the grapes on the bottom of the
container, initiating a combination of traditional fermentation.
Within
the Gamay wines produced from Beaujolais, there are three main styles. The
first is Nouveau. This is the least aged of the styles, and sometimes continues
fermenting inside the bottle, which is not typically considered ideal. This
wine is available for consumer on the third Thursday of November. The taste is
described as chemical, or even like paint. The next style is Beaujolais
Villages. These wines are considered a bit finer in quality, as they are
planted on better vineyards, and have time to complete their fermentation.
Finally, there is Cru Beaujolais.
This wine is from the best soil in the region and boasts more aging
power within the bottle. Theya are known for their high fruit/jammy taste,
while not having any taste of paint, which comes from the fermentation process.
Map of the regions Gamay is commonly grown
Other
than Beaujolais, Gamay is also grown in other parts of France including
Macconais and Savoie, Switzerland, where is is commonly mixed with Pinot Noir
(Pinot Noir and Gamay grow well in the same areas, though Gamay ripens two
weeks earlier) and contains more residual sugars, Canada, where acidity if favored,
and some trace harvests in Italy, California and New Zealand. Interestingly
enough, hardly any Gamay is grown in California. Total, there are about 37,000
hectares of Gamay planted. Unfortunately, all Gamay wine styles have declined in popularity over the years. The predominant consumers of Gamay are people within
Europe, particularly France, and Japan (who consumes 20% of Gamay produced).
Most Gamay’s are very affordable, aside from Cru Beaujolias.
While
Gamay can be used as a varietal, it is more commonly mixed with other varieties.
It is extensively used in rose wines from Saumur and Anjou in France, and is in
many other red blends.
So
what should you eat with a Gamay wine? It is often served with light meats,
such as chicken or pork, and commonly is served with more bold sauces, such as
cheese or spices since it is so light.
Although
not an incredibly sought-after wine, it serves it’s purpose as a light red
table wine with unique fruit characteristics.
Works Cited:
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/gamay.html
http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-182-gamay
No comments:
Post a Comment