Gamay Noir
A thin-skinned, high-acid black grape of Beaujolais, sibling to Chardonnay and Melon, famous for juicy, chillable carbonic-maceration reds.
About Gamay
Gamay Noir is the signature grape of Beaujolais and a natural offspring of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, the same Burgundian pairing that produced Chardonnay and Melon de Bourgogne. First recorded near Beaune in the 1360s, it was famously banished from the Cote d'Or by Philip the Bold, who exiled it south to the granite hills of Beaujolais where it thrives. Light in tannin and high in acid, Gamay yields fragrant, red-fruited wines of cranberry, raspberry and violet, often with a peppery lift. Much of it is made by carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration, which amplifies bright fruit and gives young Beaujolais its gulpable, banana-tinged charm. The ten named crus prove the grape's serious side, producing structured wines that can age a decade. Increasingly prized by natural-wine makers and by Loire and New World growers alike.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
Serve lightly chilled; drink cru Beaujolais (Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent) for structure and cellaring, basic Beaujolais young and fresh.