A very bad and disloyal variety from which come abundant quantities of wine…And this wine of Gaamez is of such a kind that it is very harmful to human creatures, so much so that many people who have had it in the past were infested by serious disease, as we’ve heard; because, said wine of said plant of said nature is full of significant and horrible bitterness. For this reason we solemnly command you…those who have said vines of said Gaamez to cut them down or have them cut down, wherever they may be in our country, within five months. -Duc Philippe “the bold” Hardi, Dijon, 1395
The edict above was Gamay Noir’s first, and most notorious, appearance in the written record, so says Jancis Robinson in Wine Grapes. All of which had as much to do with royal posturing as it did with making delicious wines (although it must be said in the Duc’s defense that Gamay does do better in Beaujolais’ granite than in the Côte d’Or’s limestone). More nails were driven into the grape’s coffin by bans up and down the Côte’s vineyards in 1567, 1725, and 1731. For additional context, check out this article from Ben O’Donnell.
Still, Gamay persevered. Paul Jambon of Pavillon de Chavannes remembers sheltering in the basement of the family domaine with his grandmother, caught in the crossfire between retreating Germans and French partisans skirmishing on the flanks of Mt. Brouilly in the waning days of WWII (the Germans blew a hole through their cherry tree!). The war notwithstanding, Paul along with many of his neighbors had long supplied the bouchons of Lyon, France’s gastronomic heart, and in the post-war revival Gamay became synonymous with decidedly not fussy but fine dining. Beaujolais was also a perfect mid-point stop for vacationers traveling to and from the Côte d’Azur to fill their trunks every August. A good Gamay, and especially Cru Beaujolais, rightfully became something that nearly all the French saw as indispensable (a rare point of national agreement).
Things have only gotten better in recent times. Progressive viticulture now supports both avant-garde winemaking and refined traditional methods. Moreover, the grape has banished the Duc’s edict by multiplying around the world. Our selections at Vintage’59 run the gamut of immediate gratification, at which Gamay excels, from succulent Crus Beaujolais to biodynamic sparkling blanc de noirs, to terrific expressions from Oregon and California.