Vibrant ruby colour; an intense nose of fresh, ripe bramble fruits followed by strawberry, vanilla and cinnamon.  Bright berry on the palate, this wine has a solid structure and a delicate finish with soft tannin and lively acidity - overachieves its modest price.

Winemaker's Notes:
The summer of 2006 was warm and long, with plentiful rainfall promoting very healthy vine growth.  The harvest was cooler than the two previous vintages, allowing the grapes to capture fresh aromas and flavours, while maintaining crisp acidity.  On October 24 and 25 clean, ripe fruit was hand-harvested at 21.3o brix, then graded and sorted to select the best quality fruit. A saignee, or bleeding of juice 24 hours after crushing, was done to concentrate the skin to juice ratio.  After 4 days of cold soak, the fruit was fermented in four tonne lots with temperatures reaching 30ºC for 12 hours. After 18 days on the skins, the wine was gently pressed and sent to neutral barrels for malolactic fermentation and eight months of ageing. Bottled on January 24, 2008 under Stelvin® closure. Drink now until 2011.

Food Pairings:
This easygoing, enjoyable grape goes very well with food. Serve with antipasto-type starters like cured meats, and semi-hard cheeses. Carries through to all your favourite barbequed meats including burgers (beef or veggie), lamb, ribs and chops.  If you want to drink red regardless, the supple tannins make this the red wine to choose for turkey, chicken or fish. A great summer-weight red.

Wine Reviews:
“Malivoire consistently crafts exceptional wines using their estate-grown Gamay vines.  They make a convincing case for this too-often-overlooked variety.  This wine has a generously fragrant nose of ripe cherry and bramble fruit, with some interesting spicy notes.  It’s dry, medium-bodies and well-balanced by ripe tannins and lively acidity.  Enjoy over the next 2-3 years with grilled pork loin, blackened chicken or planked salmon”.  (LCBO Vintages - June 21-08)

"Those who know me know I have a soft spot in my heart for Gamay, so when I hear owner Martin Malivoire speak poetically about how the Gamay grape being perfectly suited for Ontario I get weak in the knees. So few wineries realize the potential of this grape in Ontario. 2006 was a decent enough year and this Gamay turned out decent in its own right. Light strawberry fruit on the nose leads to a touch of earthiness with good red fruit flavours. This one needs a chill to really show what it can do." (Michael Pinkus, Ontario Wine Newsletter 85 - June 21-08)

"I confess I find most Ontario Gamays stewed and leathery or gutless. This is one of Ontario's best Gamays ever, with fragrant bing cherries, coconut and cedar notes, showling losts of depth and endless sweet-edged fruit. Food suggestion: Salmon steaks. Rating: 90." (Gordon Stimmell, Toronto Star - July-2008)

"Though 2006 started warm and well, around harvest there was a cooling off. Shiraz Mottiar, Malivoire's obviously talented winemaker, did a wonderful job with the winery's Gamay (591313) $17, though. The nose is intensely fruity with the hint of banana that is classic for this variety. On the palate, there's spice and vanilla to complement the fruit." (Stephane Beauroy, www.xyyz.ca, July 2008)

"Having tried some surprisingly mediocre Niagara Gamays from the 2006 vintage, I was really happy to taste this one. The flavours are high-toned and lively, but layered and complex, while the texture rides that terrific smooth-tangy tension. Dry and medium bodied, it's a great choice for duck, chicken or ham." 4 Stars - (Rod Phillips August 2008)

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Last Updated: Augsut 2008