A Celebration of Gamay

With Beaujolais Nouveau Day fast approaching, it's time to stock up on Gamay so you can throw your own party this Thursday, just like we will be doing at Highbury Library with our Wine Club. If you haven't pre-ordered your BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU 2025 yet, there is still time. And why not add some other Gamays to taste and compare alongside? Here are some of our current favourites;

CHATEAU ROULANT 2023

Château Roulant is a wine that never really misses for the price point. Winemaker Benoit Camus lives in a caravan amongst his vines, hence the "Castle on Wheels" name of this cuvée. No-nonsense Beaujolais with a lovely, rustic edge.

AU BON SECOURS 2022

The Gamay grape excels in certain soil types around the Loire Valley and that's where this next wine is from, close to the Layon river. The Babbas winery holds legendary status in this part of France and winemaker Sebastién Dervieux is known for creating wild and energetic wines. Au Bon Secours is no different!

EXSPECTATIA 2024

Back to Beaujolais for another wild number, this time from Christian Ducroux who is located in the cru village of Régnié. This comes from very old Gamay vines (up to 90 years!) that have been farmed organically since the 1980s. A light expression from a cooler vintage but no shortage of concentration and character.

TRUTRUKA 2023

In between the Loire and Beaujolais lies the Auvergne, another hotspot for top notch Gamay. Jaufré Mas works as a winemaker for Patrick Boujou but also produces tiny quantities of his own cuvées on the side. This has the most structure of all the wines discussed here and offers a darker fruit and mineral profile. A gastronomic wine with great ageing potential.

MORGON 2024

An iconic wine from the Lapierre family in Beaujolais. Marcel Lapierre was a winemaking legend who is credited with being a key player in the natural wine revolution and since his passing, his family have dedicated their time to following in his footsteps. A precise and savoury wine that shows how serious Gamay can be. We also have the special MORGON CUVÉE CAMILLE 2023 in stock at time of writing. 

LA SOUTERONNE 2023

Finally we head further south to the Ardèche for a beautiful bottle from Hervé Souhaut. This is very much Grenache and Syrah country but Gamay is also grown in small quantities. The fruit on this wine shows a beautiful purity and there are some smokey notes that remind us of Syrah. Wonderfully balanced, this is a hugely underrated bottle in our opinion.

Gamay for all! Happy drinking...