As some shill has been known to opine, "I don't drink American Gamay very often, but when I do..." it's going to be either a perennial favorite chez nous, Steve E's Bone Jolly or, a recently discovered gem, the Chateau Grand Traverse Gamay Noir, hailing from Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula, just outside of Traverse City. Tonight, with a platter of peach wood-smoked quail, we did a taste test of the 2015 Edmunds St. John Bone Jolly and the 2014 Chateau Grand Traverse Gamay Noir. The Bone Jolly was a dead ringer for a high quality Beaujolais, something like Chermette's Cuvée Traditionelle. It had the tart cranberry fruit, light color and lightness on the palate that we associate with Beaujolais. The CGT, in contrast, was darker, less acidic and less typical of the grape. That being said, it was still an appealing wine, although it reminded me more of a good CA Pinot Noir. It should be noted that the previous vintage (2013) of this wine was far closer in character to the Bone Jolly. Both were distinctly moreish.
Mark Lipton
Mark Lipton