07 Jun Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Lucy 2022 Gamay Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
If you drink Beaujolais, you know Gamay Noir as the light-bodied, bright, and fruit-forward red wine that is similar to Pinot Noir. Gamay is primarily grown in the granite soils of Beaujolais, France but it is also grown in California, Oregon, and Australia. In the Santa Lucia Highlands, one of the few places in coastal California where one can find granite, Gamay has found a home. And the Pisoni brothers, Jeff and Mark, have released their first Gamay Noir. I could not wait to get my hands on this wine, which is the Please The Palate wine of the week.
ABOUT LUCY WINES
Lucy is the younger sister brand of Lucia Wines made by the Pisoni brothers. They started with Lucy Rosé in 2003 and for every bottle sold, they donate $1 to breast cancer research. In 2021, Lucy Rosé got a sister with Lucy Pico Blanco and for every bottle sold, they donate $1 to ocean conservancy. At the close of 2022, Lucy Wines donated over $200,000 to charitable causes. And now there is the newest member of the family, the Lucy Gamay Noir in which $1 from every bottle sold will be donated to the local Big Sur firefighters.
The grapes are grown in the cool and foggy coastal weather resulting in a long growing season. The grapes are fermented 60% whole cluster in open-top fermenters to create a semi-carbonic environment. A portion of the fruit was fermented in a vintage California redwood tank. A combination of punch downs and pump overs allows for gentle extraction of aromas and flavor. The wine was then aged for 8 months in neutral French barrels before being bottled unfiltered and unfined.
TASTING NOTES
A vibrant violet color, the wine is equally as alive on the palate. There are aromas of cherry, red currant, cranberry, raspberry, and violets, as well as notes of dried herbs and spice. The wine is juicy with soft tannins and bright acidity.
FOOD PAIRING
Because Gamay has high natural acidity and low tannin, it is a wine that is very food friendly. Enjoy it with roasted chicken, lamb chops, grilled shrimp, salmon, duck, cheese, and vegetables.
WHERE TO PURCHASE
The Lucy 2022 Gamay Noir retails for $30 and is available directly from the Pisoni Family Vineyards website.
MEET THE WINEMAKER
Listen to the interview I did with Jeff Pisoni on the Wine Soundtrack USA Podcast