Description
Gamay is making a move in Australia and looks to be a promising variety for the future. Here are six of the very best Australian examples right now. From Beechworth to Tasmania - this is a Gamayzing set of wines.
- 2023 Farr Rising Gamay
- 2023 Ravensworth Estate Gamay
- 2023 Timo Mayer Gamay
- 2023 Meadowbank Gamay
- 2023 Bannockburn Gamay
- 2023 Sorrenberg Gamay
2023 Farr Rising Gamay
The Farr's are Victorian winemaking royalty. Between father Gary and son Nick, they have produced some of the country's greatest Burgundian-styled wines over the past couple of decades.
Nick's solo project, Farr Rising, is his chance to challenge his old man's winemaking philosophies. The wines are consistently stellar. There's just something in the Farr's blood.
The Gamay was grafted onto existing Cabernet rootstock not long after Nick and wife Cassie purchased their own block of land in 1999. The wine has developed something of a cult following, as many continue to fall under the beguiling spell of Gamay.
The wealth of knowledge and creativity behind this wine is astonishing. If you are looking for top examples of this much-loved variety, this is one of country's finest iterations.
2023 Ravensworth Estate Gamay
This is just the second-ever release of Bryan Martin's estate-grown Gamay. This versatile French variety strikes a lovely balance, offering more weight and colour than Ravensworth's Tumbarumba version, thanks to the warmer Canberra District climate where it is grown.
Crafted by one of the leading winemakers in the Canberra district, on the Ravensworth estate near Murrumbateman, this wine underwent partial carbonic maceration for 10 days (ala Beaujolais), followed by traditional fermentation and maturation in a mix of new and used French oak barriques for 12 months.
The result is a bright, fresh red wine with a little more structure and savouriness than its Tumbarumba counterpart. It’s light, fruity, and delightfully easy-drinking.
Duck pancakes with plum sauce and a glass of this would be best mates.
"Go forth! Crisp and clean, bright and fresh. Tart cherries, cranberry, truffle, brambly blackberry and some kombu-umami-like characters. Lighter weight and fruity, not quite savoury but that herbal lilt is pleasing and counters the red fruit swishes well. Easy drinking style, refreshing and cool. Not particularly complex, but all the pleasure elements in place."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2023 Timo Mayer Gamay
It's fair to say Timo Mayer loves some whole-bunch/carbonic maceration action.
It works brilliantly when applied to lighter red varieties. Case in point - this Gamay has come up trumps...
The fruit was grown from vines in Dixon Creek in the northern Yarra, and we all know that great wine begins as great fruit. In the hands of Timo, this variety really sings.
Gamay can be a simple affair, but this one is wild; crunchy whole bunchiness, but still plush and juicy. Timo knocks it out of the park once again.
95 points
"Very savoury red wine, in the best sense, with near Italianate tannins lending a skeleton for the lithe fruit and spice to hang off. Serious stuff."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2023 Meadowbank Gamay
Gamay is all the rage these days, with its light and approachable style perfectly suited to drinking in the Aussie sun.
The Meadowbank Gamay comes off a small planting of 30+-year-old vines in the Derwent Valley. It was crafted by the talented hands of Peter Dredge, with no preservatives and no need to wait!
Yet another terrific release of this wine from Meadowbank, and a great example of the variety in all its spice and red-fruited charm. Super limited.
2023 Bannockburn Gamay
The 2023 Bannockburn Gamay is a delightful new addition to the Bannockburn range. Grown on a 1.4-acre plot grafted to Gamay in 2019, the vines thrive at the base of Olive Tree Hill vineyard, planted atop mixed clay over limestone terrain.
On the nose, this Gamay bursts with vibrant aromas of blueberries, violets, white pepper, and a hint of paprika. The palate is equally delectable, with a fresh, fruit-forward profile that’s both crunchy and complex.
The 2023 vintage, despite its youth, promises curious and enjoyable drinking, reflecting the classic qualities of Bannockburn wines. It's a fresh and lively expression that offers something intriguing with every sip, a true testament to the vineyard's potential.
95 points
"The first ('22) release was very good. This '23 release is even better. This is a smashing wine to drink; indeed, it's a wine that should be on the radar of anyone who enjoys lighter, cooler, more savoury-styled red wines. It's a nutty, red-berried, peppery red with a lot of flamboyance and even more charm. It's a wine of succulence and spice. It's a beauty."
- Campbell Mattinson (Halliday Wine Companion)
2023 Sorrenberg Gamay
The Sorrenberg Gamay is one of Beechworth's most beloved wines and holds cult status amongst collectors of the rare birds of Australian wine.
The fruit is grown and vinified by Barry and Jan Morey on their small property on the outskirts of Beechworth township. Winemaking is low-tech but detailed, each berry receiving attention from Barry on its way through wild ferment. The fruit (including 10% Pinot Noir) is basket pressed and sent to slumber in the caves beneath the Morey household before being bottled.
Often described as a 'Burgundian-style'; there are many reasons why this is considered by many as Australia's best Gamay and our answer to Cru Beaujolais, but to truly know why you'll need to try it for yourself.
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