Greta Carbo Gamay

A beautiful vintage study! It was really nice to look at the 17’ Greta Carbo after the 19’ the day before - this was grittier, less fruity, and more concentrated to me. MH and I thought it might have been some winemaking changes, but after a quick text with the producer, it was revealed that no stylistic changes were made and the differences were mainly due to hail and lower yields than 19’.

This was firing on all cylinders and incredibly different from my first bottle (cleaner and less of an oddball, though the same DNA was present - see previous notes). Aromas of red fruits, roses, herbs, and a tinge of nectarine. On the palate, it was juicy with flavours of pomegranate, raspberry, and blood oranges, along with black tea and grass. Super silky texture with a notable “furry” edge. Finishes with spices and a light earthy savouriness. Complex and super drinkable - a win in my books!

MH preferred the 17’ Greta Carbo over the 19’, while I was more partial to the latter. It was just a matter of stylistic preference as they were both delicious and equally digestible - I just liked the 19’s more elegant and mineral style better. The fruit here was a little darker but still red-fruited, with a distinct “cab-mac sweetness” in the mid-palate. Similarly floral and herbaceous, but with a real granitic spine absent in the 17’. The texture was also really silky, but with finer tannins and perhaps a little lighter bodied than the 17’. Notably less solids too in the 19’, with a clearer, redder hue (the 17’ was more orangey). Both finished with an earthy savouriness, but the 19’ sported some really charming brine notes that took the drinkability up a notch for me. Gorgeously seductive wine, this 19’ was.

There's an uncanny similarity between the tasting notes of this wine with that of the 15' Overnoy Poulsard I had a couple of years ago, which leads me to believe that vinification or in particular, biological factors, may be the grand architect of these wines.

Pours out with an orangey hue of red. Reductive smokey aromas, followed by dried roses, twigs and grass, tabacco, dried herbs, and earth. The palate felt a little simple and short - cherries and grass, on a bitter, high acid finish.

So armed with lessons from previous Delienne openings, the wine went back into the cooler for an overnight dose of slow-release oxygen. This was when it took a unexpected turn towards the Poulsard memory. Cherries and grass had turned into the distinctive blood orange and tea notes. A slight acetic note arose, which integrated well with the palate giving a rather savory impression. A peculiar chicken essence note was especially memory-inducing. I felt like it put on some weight too, with a lovely silky texture. It's an oddball for sure, but not an unwelcomed transformation, as you see, the aforementioned Poulsard was my engagement tipple.

Brett

Great Carbo pure and delicious amazing Gamay

Effervescent gamay, zippy, cloudy, dancer on the tongue. Lots of fun.

On the edge of natural wine making acceptability - decent fruit but not clean enough on the palate

1o do ano Jan22 em casa Adi, Cê, Mar, Lil, Cle, Tha IG

At Lord’s

This is really good. Smokey red hot carbo but also a great energy giving wine. Popping!