Oregon Gamay: New Wines to Discover
DECANTER MAGAZINE, ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AUGUST 24, 2017
Anne Krebiehl MW recently attended the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon, but came away equally captivated by the 'hauntingly perfumed' Gamays also produced in the region.
Vivid cherry fruit, pepper and ample freshness: that is Oregon Gamay. This often overlooked grape is finding authentic expression in the temperate climate of America’s Pacific Northwest, where Oregon’s volcanic and sedimentary soils, its sunny days and strikingly cool nights are proving a perfect home.
Once outlawed in Burgundy, and more recently derided as unserious for its high volumes of Beaujolais Nouveau, Gamay carries reputational baggage. Nonetheless, in the right hands, especially hands that have crafted Pinot Noir, it can make hauntingly perfumed and age-worthy wines.
“Doug Tunnell of Brick House Vineyards was among the first to plant Gamay in 1992. To him, the climatic parallels between Beaujolais and Oregon were clear.”