Réserve Vieilles Vignes Côte Roannaise Gamay

This last bottle was the best of the lot. It combined plentiful mulberry-like fruit with a lightness and nearly playful texture. While I enjoy plenty of Beaujolais, I think I prefer this even lighter style of Gamay.

This showed a bit strange on PNP. Flinty, creosote and charcoal aromas. With air it gained some fruit, but not what I recalled for this wine. Paired against a Negrette dominant blend from Frontalis, this was a distinct second for nearly every taster that night.

From time to time find myself craving this crunchy berry and herb and deeply stony interpretation of Gamay from the Loire. There’s a lot to love here especially when you can buy it for sixteen bucks.

Violets and red fruits.

This is as exciting, energetic, and pure as wine gets for me. Cracked black peppercorn and read current stream from the glass while sage and thyme smolder in the background. I hope you get a chance to experience this gem

Crisp and refreshing, with lots of crunchy Gamay character. Nose has crunchy cherry fruit, high-toned stoniness, and an herbal note. Very direct in the mouth, with loads of limestoney minerality, which gives a very different impression than Gamays grown in more granitic soil.

Solid.

Gamay - nearly as structured as many a Bourgogne Rouge - black cracked pepper coming to the front on day 3

Nice Gamay from the Loire backwaters. Crunchy, hard cherry and grapey Gamay fruit, but with a higher-toned mineral note than the granitic minerality of the Beaujolais crus. Lowish acidity and chunky, blocky mouthfeel give away its 2015 origins. Good value though, with lots of flavor in a low alcohol format.

If there was a “do everything” wine for everyone ... this might be it. Crunchy red fruit, singed ash, and mineral notes. Keeps getting better with age.