Gamay Noir 2018

Type

Red

Grape

Gamay

Region

Willamette Valley, OR

Value

Community

Vibe

Alpine + Umami

Characteristics

Acidity

Body

Tannins

Production Notes

Gamay Noir, the grape of France’s Beaujolais, is an awesome new addition to Love & Squalor’s lineup. It’s one of a handful of exciting new Gamay bottlings that have cropped up in the valley in recent years, hopefully bringing to an end Gamay’s long history in the U.S. of being overlooked, misidentified and misunderstood. The Gamay for this wine are sourced from McCleskey Vineyard, just South of Portland near the town of Tigard (a stone’s throw from the Chehalem Mountains appellation). The vineyard was planted between 2001 and 2002 and contains only half an acre of Gamay. Matt’s approach is part nouveau (partial carbonic fermentation) and part old school (18 months in neutral oak) to produce a wine that feels both spontaneous and polished.

Gamay Noir - 2018

Gorgeously juicy and alive — crunchy strawberries and blackberries, savory herbs and wet-cut granite.

Love & Squalor is a blood-sweat-and-tears Willamette Valley project of Matt Berson and Angie Reat of Portland, OR. What began for Matt as a midlife career pivot away from restaurants (and a closet full of tuxedos) to wine, quickly proved a calling, and later, a life’s work. Now Matt and Angie, formerly a high flying SF-based graphic designer, co-manage the business out of their Southeast Portland winery and tasting room. Matt makes the wine, while Angie handles most other aspects of the business, utilizing her wide-ranging expertise on everything from label design and marketing to business strategy and making sure the jukebox keeps playing.