Gamay Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

Château de Pizay, Morgon 2020 – a fruity and robust wine, with a pleasant, lingering finish

Beaujolais, home of the Gamay grape, lies between Mâcon and Lyon. There are 10 Beaujolais crus, each with its own distinct personality based on climate, soil, altitude and aspect.

The four key crus are Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent. The first two produce lighter, more perfumed wines, and the last two produce more structured wines that generally age well.

This Château de Pizay, Morgon 2020 is a smooth, dry wine, with medium acidity and medium tannins. It has a perfumed nose of blossom, plum and blackcurrant, leading to flavours of plum, black cherry, and vanilla, with a hint of cloves and smokiness, on the palate. A fruity and robust wine, with a pleasant, lingering finish, this is a perfect match for duck.

Available from Majestic £12.99 (Mix Six £10.99)

Moulin-à-Vent: the King of Beaujolais

Moulin-à-Vent, Domaine De Roche-Guillon 2015

Just south of Burgundy lies Beaujolais, home of the Gamay grape. There are 10 Beaujolais crus, each with their own distinct personality created by a combination of factors including climate, soil, altitude and aspect.

The four key crus are Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon, and Moulin-à-Vent, with the first two producing lighter, more perfumed styles, and the last two producing more structured wines which generally age well.

This Domaine de Roche-Guillon wine is from the vineyards of Moulin-à-Vent, where the grapes are grown in pink granite soils rich in manganese and iron. This accounts for the dark ruby colour of the wine, and its structure and complexity.

A medium-bodied wine with medium tannin and a long finish, it has aromas of black cherry, raspberry and a hint of forest floor on the nose, and flavours of black cherry, with a touch of spice and smokiness, on the palate. This is a complex wine that has developed well with age and is representative of a very appealing wine from this terroir. It goes well with charcuterie, duck, grilled meats, and soft cheese such as Brie or Camembert.

Available from Sandhams (£14.98)

Il est arrivé. It’s here – the 2020 Beaujolais Nouveau is out!

Made from Gamay grapes grown on the alluvial plains of the Beaujolais region of Eastern France, Beaujolais Nouveau is specifically made for early drinking. Bottled just weeks after the grapes have been harvested, and using a wine-making technique known as carbonic maceration, the wine is typically lighter-bodied, fresh and fruity.

The wines cannot be released for sale until the third Thursday in November … today … and though this year’s celebrations will be rather muted, typically Beaujolais Day is a good excuse to party, whether in Lyon, Paris, London, Tokyo, New York or elsewhere.

I ordered my bottle of Jean Loron Beaujolais Nouveau 2020 in advance and was able to enjoy it earlier today. Here are my thoughts –

the wine is medium purple in colour and has intense aromas of raspberry, strawberry and cranberry with a hint of bubble gum on the nose, and intense red fruits flavours on the palate. Dry, with low tannin and medium + acidity, it is a light bodied wine with a medium finish. It’s a perfectly agreeable wine, fine to enjoy by itself or with something light to accompany it. We had it with gyoza (Japanese dumplings).

I hedged my bets and ordered two bottles. I’m so glad I did – I can now look forward to enjoying the second bottle in January or February when we’re in the depths of winter and I need something to put me in a cheery mood!

But for now, let’s celebrate the Beaujolais harvest.

Happy Beaujolais Day!