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750ml
Bottle:
$19.99
6 bottles:
$19.20
Fondatore means "founder," and the name of this wine name bears special significance for Cleto Chiarli. The...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.08
12 bottles:
$15.44
The Vecchia Modena Premium Lambrusco di Sorbara represents the history both of the Chiarli wine Company and of...
750ml
Bottle:
$29.94
$32.00
Tasted from barrel, the 2017 Fleurie exhibits notes of warm spices, ripe cherries and dried flowers. On the palate,...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.94
$34.80
12 bottles:
$33.26
The 2017 Fleurie Clos Vernay was unaffected by hail according to Frédéric Lafarge. It has a deep, blueberry and...
750ml
Bottle:
$37.95
12 bottles:
$37.19
100% Gamay from Rancho Coda - an exciting new vineyard planted on Franciscan soils at 1,000 ft elevation in the...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.51
$18.34
12 bottles:
$14.41
A lively rose from a crafted selection of Gamay from the great Burgundy region. Fermentation takes place in stainless...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$71.97
This wine was produced from a single vineyard that's a monopole, guided since 2008 by Édouard Labruyère. Blackberry...
Pre-Arrival
Philippe Pacalet Moulin A Vent 2017
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$60.12
Aromas of black cherries, lavender and blue slate follow through to a full body, firm and fine tannins and a...
Gamay Lambrusco 2017 2023 750ml
The French wines of Beaujolais are widely regarded as some of the finest table wines in the world. This is due in part to the qualities of the Gamay grape, from which they are made. Gamay produces beautifully, juicy, rounded and gulpable red wines, usually drank young and full of their natural fruit character. However, it would be a mistake to say that Gamay is limited to easy-drinking, soft wines - it’s a highly flexible and versatile grape, capable of producing aged wines of serious complexity and structure, full of expression and fascinating characteristics.
The majority of Gamay wines from France are labeled under Beaujolais Villages or Beaujolais, and these are the standard table wines we’re used to seeing in French restaurants, at bistros, and at our local wine store. Usually great value for money, these are the light, slightly acidic examples of what the grape can do. Far more interesting are those Gamay wines from the 10 cru villages, just north of Beaujolais, where generations of expertise and a unique soil type made up of granitic schist result in far more unique, complicated wines. The best examples of Gamay feature intense aromatics, all black fruit and forest fare, and are worth cellaring for a few years.
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.