Since its first release, Meadowbank’s Gamay has generated considerable excitement in the trade. With some foresight, Meadowbank’s original Pinot Block was planted to Gamay in 1987. Then, in 2015, a second small Gamay block (descriptively named Top Woolshed) joined the fold. The soils in each block are loose sand over sandstone and dark brown coffee rock. The second block has a component of dolerite. Both sites are farmed sustainably.
The blocks were picked separately and fermented as whole clusters over 12 days. The wine was foot-stomped over the next few days before being pressed to old French barriques before maturing for three months in barrel. Bottled without fining or filtration and packing plenty of lip-smacking freshness, this Gamay offers bright, lifted perfume and an irresistibly juicy, sappy, red-fruited palate. Peter Dredge is pretty happy with this one, and we can see why.