2019 Rigour & Whimsy Gamay Noir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (Alcohol 11%, Residual Sugar 2 g/l) The Living Vine $39.95 (750ml bottle)
Being more than a little partial to well-crafted Gamay, I was thrilled to taste this absolutely super example from the Okanagan’s Rigour & Whimsy.
With whole-clusters of West Kelowna fruit seeing some four weeks of partial-carbonic maceration and a little crushing underfoot (seriously), the resultant wine is then given a five month rest in neutral puncheons and barriques.
A million miles removed (or rather 2,398 km removed) from many of the darker, blacker-berried Gamays of Ontario, this light and racy bottling is simply bursting at the seams with gloriously vibrant, crunchy red berry fruits (cranberry/red currant) and tart rhubarb stems; the ripe fruit energy in each glass is a sheer delight. There’s some structure in there too, the mouthwatering, lip smacking acidity sitting comfortably with palpable tannins.
Their website states that this is crying out to be served with pink-fleshed fish, and I can certainly see that working a treat, but I polished of this admirable wine all by itself, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
(Four and a half apples out of a possible five)
