Posted February 09, 2012 Rich flavors of blackberry pie, apple compote and cherry preserves are accented by anise, nutmeg and vanilla. Bright acidity keeps it fresh, while light tannins frame this balanced red.
And the answer is...
Varietal:
This mystery red wine has an intriguing tasting note with rich fruit flavors and hints of anise, nutmeg and vanilla. Our wine’s fresh
acidity and light tannins point to a lighter-bodied red so we should start by eliminating the grapes that typically produce more full-bodied
and tannic wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon should be the first to go. It's known for producing rich, concentrated wines that are full-bodied with abundant tannins—not our grape.
Zinfandel doesn’t have the same tannic structure of Cabernet but it can certainly be full-bodied. The grape’s typically zesty and spicy
flavors are also missing from our note, so it’s not a good choice.
Sangiovese often shows anise and cherry flavors but its tendency to produce wines that are medium- to full-bodied knocks it out of contention.
The Italian grape Barbera might be a good choice. Recommending it are Barbera's typically high acidity and low tannins, but generally speaking, Barberas tend to be more full-bodied than the wine in our tasting note, so we can move on.
This leaves us with Gamay. It typically produces light, fruity red wines with bright acidity and low tannins. Its flavors can include a mix of red and black fruit, just like our wine.
This is a Gamay.
Country:
Now that we have found our grape it should be easy to determine the country it hails from. Gamay is strongly tied to France, but it does put in an appearance in other countries as well. There are limited plantings in Spain and Chile, but not enough to warrant our attention. The grape is also grown in Italy’s Valle d’Aosta region, in the northwestern corner of the country, but only in small quantities—again, not enough for serious contention.
For many years California winemakers were growing two grapes that were thought to be Gamay and bottling them as Napa Gamay and Gamay Beaujolais. However, it was later found that Napa Gamay was actually the Valdiguié grape from the south of France, while California's Gamay Beaujolais was in reality a clone of Pinot Noir.
This leaves France, which is the best choice for our grape. Gamay is grown in parts of France’s Loire Valley and also features prominently in the wines of Beaujolais.
This Gamay is from France.
Age:
Gamay is typically low in alcohol and high in acidity, which makes it a good candidate for early consumption. In Beaujolais, where the grape is an all-star of the region’s red wines, some of the top appellations produce wines that can benefit from some time in the cellar. However, the bright acidity in our wine, and the lack of secondary flavors, suggests a younger wine. Knowing this, we can cross off the two oldest age ranges.
The current releases of French Gamays on store shelves are from the 2009 and 2010 vintages. This means we can eliminate the one- to two-year-old category. Of the two vintages available, 2010 produced wines with fresh acidity and plenty of fruit. 2009 was an outstanding vintage for Beaujolais and the wines show great structure and complex flavors. This sounds in line with our wine’s rich flavors and balanced structure.
This wine is from the 2009 vintage, making it three years old.
Appellation:
Knowing our country of origin, we can focus in on the French appellation choices: Alsace and Morgon.
Alsace is easy to eliminate as a potential appellation. This winegrowing region, located in the northeastern part of the country near the border of Germany, is predominately known for its white wines. Producers do make reds and rosés from Pinot Noir, but Gamay is not grown there.
This leaves Morgon, which is an appellation in Beaujolais. The wines of the Beaujolais region, which is located just south of Burgundy, are based on the Gamay grape, specifically Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. Morgon is one of 10 smaller areas, called crus, that have their own appellation status within the larger Beaujolais region and French wine law. The Morgon appellation is one of the top crus and is known for producing complex wines that are well-structured and minerally.
