When I put this into the
wine cooler I remember thinking
WTH???
When I re-arranged the cooler
after “absorbing” the $100 UnderDog
case I saw it again and remember
thinking WTH???
When I picked it out to drink
today I remember thinking WTH???
As I’m enjoying this wine
today it finally occurred to me
to actually look at the label
A LITTLE CLOSER.
Holy Moly.
Santa Barbara.
Buelton.
Gamay Noir.
How divinely inspired and
indescribably delicious is that?
Before I looked, I assumed that
I was drinking SOMETHING from
Borgogne, but just outside of
an officially designated area.
This is an unexpected pleasure
for ME.
Paleness pushing rose.
A fruity flavor that dares
you to encounter sweetness.
I’ll guess that this one has
spent some time in oak to tame
some of that “freshness”.
See the specs here…
It’s an excellent balance.
The wine is tart and smooth
with each sip.
The low (12%) ALC tempts
me to enjoy for a longer
time/volume than I normally
would at one sitting.
Lest you disremember…
Buelton is one of the
points in the MAGIC triangle
or trapezoid that is
located in Santa Barbara
and it should be
no surprise that an excellent
Gamay Noir comes from this
area since the grape of note
heretofore for me is Pinot Noir.
(Buelleton, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos)
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.5952392,-120.1320221,11.5z?hl=en
But I AM surprised.
This is my first GN grown
outside of France as far as
I can remember.
Looking at Wikipedia…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamay
…one is left drooling
and pining for an Oregon offering.
This note ends abruptly because
I was totally distracted by
the wine AND OTHER THINGS.
I just wish I could remember
to try this one again.
Let me see…
Sommelier: If I were you, I
would try this SoCal Gamay Noir.
OTWN: But you ain’t me.
Sommelier: You should try it
no matter who I am.
OTWN: What if you’re not really
a Sommelier?
Sommelier: Look, just try this
GN. It’s freaking good.
OTWN: It’s not French.
Sommelier: It’s better than
French.
OTWN: That doesn’t make sense.
Sommelier: I’m a wine expert dude,
not a logician.
OTWN: Prove it.
Hang in there.