pierre bise sur spilite 2005 anjou gamay

[robert ames]

so what's the conventional wisdom out there with the dry reds from pierre bise? (the other being his sur schistes cabernet franc).

it's late on a sunday night (pdt) and i'm enjoying watching this wine unwind a bit with a captivating briary chunky crunchy bouquet with maybe a bit of orange zest and plenty of lively acidity and yes tannin, and finding it to be perhaps the cot of loire gamays. the opposite end of the spectrum for a cotes du forez for sure--ballsy unspoofed dark gamay to coat the teeth and grab your attention by the short hairs. seems very ageworthy at a brisk youthful 6 years old.

 

[Kay Bixler]

I've had mixed results aging the Pierre-Bise gamay and prefer to drink them young. Also the wines can be really moody, sometimes they give nothing. NOTHING! Then other days they will be open and almost joyous. This goes for the cabernets, too. Still have some '95 gamay laying around but I'm kind of afraid of it.