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Gamay

Gamay

by Dustin Soiseth by Dustin Soiseth

Gamay Sampler

Gamay Sampler

$280.00 $350.00
$280.00 $350.00
$280.00 $350.00
SOLD OUT

France

$280.00 $350.00
$280.00 $350.00
$280.00 $350.00
SOLD OUT
Normally $350.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $280.00
(a 20% discount)

This item does not take further discounts

In 1395, Philip the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, banned Gamay from his holdings in the Côte d’Or, calling it a “disloyal” plant. It seems that Philip’s subjects were flouting custom by planting Gamay in the best vineyard sites and adding it to their Pinot Noir. These medieval vignerons valued Gamay for its high yields and ease of cultivation, as well as the rich fruitiness of the wine—insurance against the vagaries of fickle Pinot Noir. But in banning the grape, Philip was thinking with his coffers as much as with his palate, because the reds of Burgundy were not only a source of pride and revenue but also a political tool, with barrels sent to leaders all over Europe. A hit to Burgundy’s reputation, real or perceived, could be serious. So Gamay mostly disappeared from the Côte d’Or. The hardy vine’s attributes were not forgotten, however, and a few centuries later it was firmly established in a new area south of the Côte d’Or, Beaujolais. Fast-forward a couple more centuries, and wines made from Gamay are beloved the world over, and are some of the most popular wines we sell.
     This sampler celebrates Gamay in all its iterations. There’s a refreshing rosé from Dupeuble and an off-dry, fizzy rosé from Patrick Bottex in Bugey, near Savoie. And, of course, there’s the whole gamut of reds from Beaujolais: easy-drinking Beaujolais-Villages from Harel, Foillard, and Guy Breton; structured reds from the famous crus of Fleurie, Régnié, and Morgon; and a well-aged bottle from the epic 2015 vintage. Given the huge strides in Gamay viticulture and winemaking we’ve witnessed in Beaujolais during the past few decades—not to mention the sheer deliciousness of the wines—it’s easy to see a silver lining in Philip’s decree, 600 years in the making.

Sampler Includes:

Bugey-Cerdon “La Cueille” • Catherine et Patrick Bottex $27.00
2021 Beaujolais Rosé • Domaine Dupeuble $19.00
2021 Chignin Gamay • A. & M. Quenard $23.00
2021 Beaujolais-Villages “Grandes Terres” • Quentin Harel $23.00
2021 Morgon “Les Charmes” • Quentin Harel $27.00
2020 Côte-de-Brouilly • Nicole et Romain Chanrion $28.00
2020 Beaujolais-Villages • Jean Foillard $28.00
2020 Brouilly “Reverdon” • Château Thivin $29.00
2020 Fleurie “Les Moriers” • Domaine Chignard $30.00
2021 Beaujolais-Villages “Cuvée Marylou” • Guy Breton $34.00
2021 Régnié • Guy Breton $42.00
2015 Beaujolais “Cuvée 1512” • Domaine Dupeuble $40.00

$280.00 $350.00
$280.00 $350.00
$280.00 $350.00
SOLD OUT
Normally $350.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $280.00
(a 20% discount)
Inspiring Thirst

I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.

Inspiring Thirst, page 171