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Gamay Noir |
Thought to have originated in the fourteenth century near the village of "Gamet" near Chassagne-Montrachet, this vine produces one of the world's most widely-enjoyed wines. The majority of plantings are in the Beaujolais area of Burgundy, and nearly all of the Beaujolais is planted to this vine.
In the early 1990s, research conducted by plant geneticist Carole Meredith at the University of California at Davis revealed a common heritage between Gamay Noir and a number of other grape varieties indigenous to northern France, most notably the members of the Pinot family.
Based on DNA typing, she concluded that an original Pinot prototype and an obscure vine called Gouais Blanc are the parents of Gamay Noir and fifteen other Gallic varieties, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc, a red grape with white flesh, must also be distinguished from Gamay Teinturier, an inferior related offshoot which has red flesh.
A vigorous variety which must be cultivated to restrict yield, Gamay Noir is highly sensitive to soil profile and does best in the granite schist soils covered by sandy clay typical of the northern Beaujolais. In other soil types it does notably worse. The vine buds and ripens early, and is sensitive to grey rot. The fruit is fairly high in color and acidity, of medium body and low in sugar and tannin, and all but the finest examples from the crus should be consumed young.
Beaujolais falls into five categories, in ascending order of quality: Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Supérieur, Beaujolais-Villages and the nine Crus of Beaujolais. These last are produced from vineyards clustered in the north of the appellation and can improve over the mid-term in bottle.
The classic method of vinifying Gamay Noir is called carbonic maceration, a whole-berry fermentation technique which emphasizes the variety’s bright, plump, raspberry and cherry fruit. This is offset by pronounced notes of black pepper with notes of banana and gumdrop which are reflected in the aromas.
Also cultivated in the Loire Valley, Switzerland, Italy and New Zealand. California’s Gamay Beaujolais and Napa Gamay are misnomers and unrelated. |
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Alternate Names: Petit Gamai, Gamay Rond, Bourguignon Noir |
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See Also: Aligote Chardonnay Melon de Bourgogne Pinot Blanc Pinot Grigio Pinot Meunier Pinot Noir |
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