Our next stop is Gamay Noir, a grape that historically has been most associated with Beaujolais, though it’s grown in many other regions around the world.
The Comeback Kid
Gamay has become a trendy grape in the last few years, but it wasn’t always so. Pretty much as soon as it stepped onto the scene in the 14th century, it took up the role of Popular Punching Bag. Famously, in 1395 Philip the Bold of Burgundy (a Pinot guy through and through) called it “bad” or “evil” and, somewhat perplexingly, “very disloyal”. In more recent history, its reputation suffered when Beaujolais, which is made from Gamay, was synonymous with cheap, low quality wines that were bolstered by the marketing gimmick of Beaujolais Nouveau. Suffice to say, it’s been a rough bunch of centuries for this grape. But now, after 600 years of verbal and legal abuse, Gamay is finally having its long-deserved moment, and we are here for it.
Profile
Gamay is a higher acid red grape with aromas of fresh, ripe, red and dark fruits, earth, mushroom, violet, and pepper. It tends to be lower in tannin, lower in alcohol, and lighter bodied.
Style
You’ll most often see Gamay as a red or a rosé (but we’ll be focusing on the red style here). It’s often made in a fruity style that’s meant to be drunk young (like a generic Beaujolais), however more complex, age-worthy examples are increasingly common.
Carbonic Maceration
This grape perhaps more than any other is also most associated with a method of vinification, which is carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration (or sometimes “carbo” for short) . We won’t get into the details about the method here, but just know that it amplifies bright, fruity flavors (and can add bubblegum and banana notes) while minimizing tannins. The result is juicy “glou glou” wines that, while fun and easy to drink, aren’t usually considered “serious” wines. One consequence of this coupling of Gamay and carbonic maceration is that the true character of this grape and the terroir of the wine is often masked, as they end up tasting like the method instead. However, increasingly there are producers in Beaujolais and beyond who are taking Gamay more seriously, and vinifying it more like what you would see in Burgundy to the north, which showcases the grape and its terroir. These versions will be less fruity and more earthy and savory, and have more concentration, more complexity, and more tannins.
Common Blending Partners
Gamay is often a varietal wine, though historically it’s been blended in Pinot Noir in the Mâconnais and in Switzerland.
Will the real Gamay please stand up?
Its formal name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, which means it’s a dark-skinned grape with white juice (as is the case with most dark-skinned grapes). There are other Gamays that have Teinturier in the name, which means they have red juice, but these are not the same grape as Gamay Noir. It is also not the same grape that was known as Napa Gamay for many years (that grape is Valdiguié), nor Gamay du Rhône (that one is Abouriou).
All in the Family
Gamay is the offspring of Gouais Blanc and Pinot Noir. It’s related to all the other Pinots, Chardonnay, Melon de Bourgogne, and others.
Where in the world is Gamay?
With its recent increase in cachet, you’ll no doubt start seeing Gamay cropping up more and more. At the moment, the main regions are:
France (Beaujolais, Mâconnais, The Loire, Savoie)
The U.S. (Napa and Sonoma, Willamette Valley, Texas, Michigan, New York)
Australia (Mornington Peninsula, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Adelaide Hills, Gippsland, North-Eastern Victoria)
Switzerland (Valais)
Italy (Piedmont, Aosta Valley)
Chile (Maule Valley, Empedrado)
It’s also in Turkey, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and more!
How to Buy It
If you’re looking for something light, fresh, and juicy, look toward Beaujolais or any Gamay that undergoes carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration.
If you want a wine with a little more gravitas, then look towards one of the crus of Beaujolais (more on that below), or seek out a Gamay from a high quality producer outside of Beaujolais.
A note about the Beaujolais Crus
There are 10 crus of Beaujolais, which are designated areas where the wine is considered better quality. As a rule of thumb, fresh, lighter styles come from Brouilly, Régnié, and Saint Amour, Chiroubles whereas more ageable styles come from Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon, and Moulin-à-Vent. You will see these crus on the label, instead of the more generic “Beaujolais”.
As always, we recommend you talk with your local wine shop about their selection—any proper wine shop will know about its wines and be glad to guide you in the right direction.
How to Serve It
If you have a lighter, carbonic-style of Gamay, it will have lower tannins and thus can be served as a “chillable red” at around 50° F.
If you have a more complex, tannic, non-carbo version, then it can be served slightly warmer, at 55-60°.
(See our Serving Temperatures post here for the full run-down.)
Some producers and wines we like
Erica likes her all-American Gamays:
Day Wines Infinite Air Castles 2022 (Gamay/Dolcetto) from the Willamette Valley, Oregon
Byron Kosuge Gamay Noir 2020 from The Shop Vineyard in Carneros, California
J.C. Somers Gamay 2020 from Ridgecrest Vineyard in the Willamette Valley, Oregon
Because Jaime is all about rosé, she recommends…
Domaine Dupasquier Rosé 2020 from Savoie, France (Gamay/Pinot Noir)
Domaine de la Potardiere from the Loire, France
La Croix Des Loges Rose De Loire
If you love it, try…
If you like that carbonic glou-glou style, then look for any other red grape also made with carbonic maceration.
Other grapes that tends towards red fruit, high acidity, and lower tannins are Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Barbera, and Frappato.
Fun fact
One early adopter of Gamay in the U.S. was Charles Shaw, of “Two-Buck Chuck” fame, who got on the Gamay train in the 1980s.
And that concludes our Gamay stop, thanks for coming along
TLDR: Gamay is fruity, fresh grape with lower tannins that often makes younger-drinking wines, but is also increasingly being crafted into complex, age-worthy wines.