Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Saturday, January 29, 2022 - 100% Gamay from two organically farmed parcels in Northern Rhône. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in oak casks. Vinified without SO2. 13,5% alcohol.

Almost fully opaque black cherry color with a youthful garnet hue. Very open, expressive and slightly lifted nose with somewhat wild aromas of boysenberries, some zesty notes of Campari, a little bit of volatile lift, light blackberry-driven notes of crushed forest fruits, a sappy hint of aromatic herbs, a touch of bubblegum-y primary fruit and a whiff of animale. The nose feels like a combination of naturalist funk and carbonic maceration, but not in a bad way. The wine is dry, crunchy and medium-bodied on the palate with flavors of fresh dark plums, some brambly forest fruits, a little bit of ripe boysenberry, light lifted notes of VA, a hint of bretty funk and a bubblegum-y touch of carbonic fruit character. The structure relies mostly on the fresh acidity, not on the gentle, ripe and relatively light tannins. The finish is dry, wild and crunchy with slightly lifted flavors of ripe forest fruits, some brambly blackberry tones, a little bit of bretty funk, light acetic notes of VA, a hint of sappy herbal character and a touch of animale. The overall feel was "natty" enough for me to fear for mousiness to emerge in the aftertaste, but it never didn't - not even on the next day. The tannins make the wine end on a somewhat grippy note.

In 2018 most Beaujolais Gamays have been just way too big, ripe and dark-toned for my taste, which is why I was a bit wary of opening this wine. Well, it turned out that my fears were unfounded! This wine is probably fresher and more poised than any 2018 Gamay from Beaujolais I've tasted! The wine is wonderfully fresh and acid-driven in character with a fruit department that leans on red berries and dark forest fruits, not on sweeter dark fruits. And even if it obvious that the wine is from the naturalist end of the spectrum with a slightly lifted overall character, it never becomes a caricature, nor does it turn mousy (unlike so many other similarly wild wines) or excessively funky at any point. Even if the wine could've been a bit less volatile for my taste, it still is wonderfully fresh, pure-fruited and acid-driven in character. A good purchase at 14€.

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