Gamay

An easy-drinking wine made with high quality grapes grown in the southern part of Beaujolais. Soils are light, and allow a light, fresh expression of Gamay. The grapes are handpicked in whole bunches and cold soaking is longer than usual for Beaujolais.

This flirtatiously fruity wine is made from the Gamay grape grown in the northern part of the Beaujolais region, which is rare for a wine at this price. Most everyday-priced Beaujolais wines comes from the south. The vines grow in the traditional freestanding bush or goblet style near the villages La Chapelle de Guinchay and Romaneche-Thorins which lie just east of the Crus, Fleurie and Chenas. The soil is a free-draining mixture of decomposed granite, clay and sand. Grapes are picked by hand and vinified in the tradition of carbonic maceration which helps to extract fruit rather than tannin, producing bright, lively wines best consumed fresh and while youthful.

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Bright cherry color, aromas of red fruits dominated by strawberries and blackcurrant. Very fine tannins lead to a fresh, silky finish.

Floral in the nose with redcurrant, blackberry, and smoky accents. Juicy on the palate with fresh red fruit with fine grained tannins and elegant balance. Finish is dry with lingering spice note. Neutral oak barrels provide heft, and no additional SO2.

Good with ham, charcuterie, cheese, pasta, mexican and/or asian dishes

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Partially harvested by hand for a fruity, delectable taste. Partially destemmed to add suppleness to the tannins and just the right touch of spice. A bold red colour that is rare to behold. A Gamay, yes, but especially an elegant and well-balanced wine whose harmony graces the name of Touraine.

"While some 44,000 acres of densely-planted Gamay Noir produce a swath of quaffable Beaujolais annually, devotees hold that Cru Beaujolais is where it’s at. Morgon, one of these ten Crus, comprises 2,750 acres of individually-staked gobelet vines on manganese and iron-rich, schist soils. This soil structure provides a minerally edge to the raspberry and dark red fruit characters typically seen. The famed Côte du Py, considered most representative of the Morgon Cru, sits at the highest point in Morgon atop an extinct volcano where hard, black soils produce complex, structured, age-worthy reds. The 2014 Morgon shows aromas of ripe raspberries and boysenberries complemented by underlying orange rind nuances. Sweet wild strawberries and garrigue flavors emerge on the deeply layered palate which is held together with seamless fine grained tannins and a distinct, acid driven minerality."

COUNTRY France REGION Beaujolais APPELLATION Beaujolais Villages WINE TYPE Red VARIETALS Gamay ORGANIC Certified BIODYNAMIC Practicing VINEYARD From one of the most precocious Bojo Villages sectors, which is among the first to be harvested in the region. Vines are 45+ years old and are densely planted so challenging to work. ORIENTATION Exposition varies SOIL Sandy, shallow topsoil on granite VITICULTURE Ecocertified (organic), in biodynamic conversion VINIFICATION Grapes are chilled for 1 day, then into tank for carbonic maceration/fermentation for 12-14 days with indigenous yeasts. AGING Aged 5-6 months in tank, no fining, and no filtration (except the last 10% of the tank). 10-15 mg SO2 at bottling PRODUCTION 1,000 cases anually NOTES A top-tier old vine Beaujolais-Villages from a densely planted, early ripening sector. This super value is supple, succulent and very pretty. Jean-Claude Lapalu is among the most respected and revered growers in Beaujolais, a darling of the Paris wine scene, and a leader in the so-called Natural Wine movement in France. He was a bit of a late-comer, assuming his unique place in the Beaujolais nexus between the generation of his peers (Breton, Dutraive, Foillard, Métras, Thevenet) and the young generation today. He farms the same vines that were once farmed by his father and grandfather. Though, as was common back in those days, they sold their wines and/or grapes to the local cooperative. In 1995, at the age of 33, Lapalu’s inquisitive nature and desire to try new things resulted in his decision to bottle his own wines. Lapalu’s 9 hectares of largely east and southeast facing vines are scattered from Mont Brouilly down through the rolling hills to his home village of Saint-Etienne-la-Varenne, the "gateway to the Crus”. Brouilly is the southernmost Cru and is more influenced by the Mediterranean warmth than its northern neighbors. Perhaps this “southern spirit” is an explanation for why Lapalu’s earliest natural wine influences — in addition to the writings of Jules Chauvet — were from Provence rather than just a few miles north. He remembers tasting Henri Milan’s 1996 “Clos Milan”, as well as wines from Richaud and Gramenon, and feeling inspired to experiment with his own wines. His curiosity and restless creativity took hold. “When I started, I wanted to shock”, he says. He began to question everything in the vineyard and cellar, abandoning conventional farming and all of the winemaking additives he had learned to employ at wine school. He laments that he had few guides and admits that modesty kept him from approaching the likes of Lapierre and other natural Beaujolais growers. But after his own wines began to garner attention beyond the borders of Beaujolais, he soon found a community of like-minded vignerons in one of the world’s most collaborative wine regions. As of the 2010 vintage, the domaine is certified organic through Ecocert and biodynamic methods have also been incorporated. Lapalu is gifted in old vines, many of which are between an average of 50 and 100+ years of age. His patchwork of cuvées are a result of years of experimentation, with Beaujolais-Villages VV and Brouilly VV representing approximately 60% of his production. All grapes are hand-harvested, of course, and chilled for 24 hours before going to the tank for fermentation. Vinification varies by cuvée (carbonic vs. semi-carbonic) with whole clusters that macerate for 10-12 days. A 24-hour pressing is customary and done with a traditional vertical press from the late 19th century. Depending on the cuvée, the wines are raised in either glass-lined concrete tanks, or used barriques or tonneaux. During the élévage, many of his cuvées see little or no sulfur, and when they do, it is usually only a small dose at bottling. Nonetheless, he is not dogmatic on this point, but he believes he can make great wines without it, that one can make “natural wines that are correct." Lapalu’s perpetually evolving tastes have heavily influenced his assorted cuvées. He thinks about his range of wines as either wines to be drunk standing up, or wines to be drunk sitting down. Generally, his entry wines fall into the first category, and his parcellaire cuvées into the latter. Today he is more interested in elegance than extraction, and fruit takes precedence over tannin. His Eau Forte cuvée — a carbonic blend of Beaujolais Villages and Brouiily — is the ultimate expression of this sentiment as it is his most lithe wine in the lineup, with an impressive persistence and length. His Cuvée des Fous is a compelling cuvée made mostly from vines planted in 1900, the oldest in the estate's holdings. It is deep, dark and dominated by black cherries, one of Brouilly's signature aromas. While Lapalu generally favors a more hands-off approach, he admits that the terroirs of Côte de Brouilly and Les Croix des Rameaux require more attention in vinification. Lastly, the amphora-aged Alma Mater, which is all desteemed and spends 7 months on the skins, is an exploration in the energy exchange between wine and vessel, and is a veritable outlier in the Lapalu lineup (though by no means a “freaky”-style wine as these examples can be). Specific cuvées aside, Lapalu has created a collection of wines that are lively, supple, sinuous and utterly delicious. An hour listening in Lapalu’s cellar might contain more information and anecdotes than a week-long Beaujolais masterclass. He is candid, generous, exuberant and an unparalleled story teller. It is easy to see that he is at once disciplined and intentional, yet not afraid to challenge the status quo. In fact, he might even take pleasure in it! He is playing an important role in the Beaujolais Renaissance by both honoring traditions and pushing the envelope. We are thrilled to be along for the ride!

Discover Noella Morantin Mon Cher Gamay 2015 Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

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Domaine Manoir du Carra is located in the small town of Denice, south of Burgundy and in the heart of the Beaujolais area. Nouveau is made with carbonic maceration, or whole-berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the grapes without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins. Beaujolais Nouveau is a cherry-red, fruity, tasty, clean wine that is best served chilled. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be consumed young, within 5-7 months.

The Terres Dorees Cote-de-Brouilly is loaded with brisk acidity and minerality. Light on its feet and elegant; this is a wine that's all about fresh cherry spice and refreshment.

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Our Beaujolais Vieilles Vignes offers an intense red with purple hints. The nose reveals rich aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and blackcurrant. Beautiful length on the palate with red and black fruits notes. A wine with a very nice balance and soft tannins. This wine has a pretty ruby red color with purple hues. The intense nose opens with notes of red fruits and peach. The mouth is round, with delightful notes of strawberry, raspberry, and peach.

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The taste of apple pie and cherry tart melded into one with strawberry rhubarb flavours to top it off. This Beaujolais-Villages has the enchanting fragrance of ripe red fruits from the orchard and briar. The wine has a silky entry followed by a lavish mid-palate showcased on a pedestal of fine integrated tannins. Food Pairings: Fish, Duck, Fruit, Veal, Poultry

Beaujolais is the most southern wine growing region in Burgundy, though it is substantially different from rest of Burgundy, both in climate and in the wine it produces, it is often thought of as its own appellation. Beaujolais produces light, dry red wines made from Gamay. Perhaps what the region is best known for is Beaujolais Nouveau, a fresh and fruity red wine made for immediate consumption.