GRAPE PROFILE: GAMAY IN ONTARIO Janet Dorozynski

GRAPE PROFILE:

Gamay in Ontario By Janet Dorozynski

By W. Blake Gray

Janet Dorozynski coined the hashtag #gogamaygo in 2012 as a rallying cry for Gamay in Canada and globally. After tasting several dozen Gamay from Ontario, she remains bullish about its future in the region.

Earlier this year I tasted through Thomas Bachelder’s latest offerings of Ontario Gamay - seven single varietal Gamay, and a passe-toutgrain-style from the 2020 vintage.

The number of Gamay made by one winery struck me. When I started looking around and saw that Malivoire was making an equally impressive seven single varietal Gamay, and 13th Street was making four, including a traditional method sparkling Gamay, I was intrigued to investigate further the current Gamay state of mind in Ontario.

While Bachelder admits it has become more difficult to get all the Pinot Noir he would like, his interest in Gamay pre-dates the recent releases. He remembers sourcing Chardonnay in the southern Mâconnais to ferment in Nuits St. Georges for his Bachelder Burgundy project, while his northern Burgundian colleagues were sourcing Côte de Brouilly and southern Mâconnais Gamay to vinify in the Côte de Nuits. Bachelder wondered at the time why he was not doing this in Niagara, since, like Burgundy, there was not enough Pinot Noir planted in Ontario to satisfy demand. He is doing just that now, and as “a pilgrim on the road to Gamay,” believes that “Gamay Noir is immediately understandable and forever unknowable”. THE HISTORY OF GAMAY IN ONTARIO

Gamay has an important place in Ontario’s wine and viticulture history, and a longstanding commitment to the variety by wineries like Inniskillin, Cave Spring and Château des Charmes. It was one of the earlier planted vinifera, with records of commercial plantings dating back to the early 1970s. Karl Kaiser and Donald Ziraldo were early supporters of the variety, and their first Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) order in 1975, after Inniskillin was granted the first winery licence in 1974, was for 500 gallons of Gamay Noir. Then, as now, Gamay is well suited to Ontario’s climate and growing season - short, warm to hot, fairly humid, and followed by cold winters. Gamay is cold hardy, even more so than its Burgundian cousins Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the latter of which is later ripening, lower yielding and overall quite finicky.

Ontario even has its own clone of Gamay, “droit,” which was discovered at Château des Charmes in the early 1980s and propagated at the winery vineyard ever since. Owner Paul Bosc Sr. discovered the clone after seeing certain Gamay vines that grew straight up (“droit”) and taller than the rest of the vineyard. The wines they produced were more complex, and after genetic testing, a specific and unique

Winemaker Shiraz Mottiar and Martin Malivoire of Malivoire

clone of Gamay was identified. Château des Charmes was granted International Plant Breeders’ Rights and is the only producer that can grow the Gamay Noir “Droit” clone.

Other early adopters of Gamay are 13th Street and Malivoire. I have very fond memories of tasting earlier vintages of the 13th Sandstone Gamay and being impressed by the depth, beauty, and Cru Beaujolais-like quality of these wines that were like nothing I had tasted before in Ontario. Malivoire, first planted Gamay in 1998 to make rosé, but little did they or anyone else know that the guiding hand, first of Ann Sperling and now Shiraz Mottiar, would take Gamay to the heights of transcendence on the Beamsville Bench. GM Stephen Gash says it’s important that each of their seven Gamays are individual and “that each bottle offers a distinct voice while being varietally true and true to site(s) and intention.” They currently have 23 acres planted of Gamay with the variety being the key focus of any future red plantings.

GAMAY IN ONTARIO: “IT'S TOUGH” AND “IT GROWS”

Ontario has the most vineyard space devoted to Gamay outside of Beaujolais and then Switzerland. While exact acreage is impossible to come by for Ontario, latest data from the Ontario Wine Appellation Authority shows that thirty-nine wineries made 68 single varietal Gamay wines in 2022, compared to 20 wineries and 26 wines in 2011. Production of single varietal Gamay has increased from 177,618 to 238,190 litres between 2011 and 2022, with a high of 427,518 litres in 2021. The total production of Gamay used in all VQA wines in Ontario has almost doubled between 2011 and 2022, climbing from 443,818 to 784,940 litres. Long story short, while the number of wineries and production of Gamay has increased, a significant volume of Gamay finds its way into blended rather than single varietal wines. In terms of Ontario VQA production, Gamay represents 3% of the total volume, while Cabernet Franc and Merlot are at 11% and Pinot Noir at 6%.

Most Ontario Gamay is grown in Niagara, with a smattering in Lake Erie North Shore and Prince Edward County. Colio Estates and Pelee Island have been making Gamay in Lake Erie North Shore since the 1990s. There are also respectable examples of Gamay in Prince Edward County from Casa-Dea, earlier vintages from the Grange, and from newcomer Broken Stone, who make an oaked and unoaked Gamay from County fruit.

Gamay ripens early and consistently, which makes it well suited to Ontario’s shorter growing season. The vine is also vigorous and tends to over produce (and is more susceptible to powdery mildew than other Burgundy varieties) which according to Harald Thiel, proprietor of Hidden Bench, “needs thinning to yield quality.” Hidden Bench planted Gamay in 2016 and Thiel believes that depending on the style, Gamay can be “an easy drinking red that provides good value to consumers” or a “serious Cru style cellar worthy wine.” He considers that Gamay, like Cabernet Franc, has potential for a “cost effective red wine alternative” since the “viticulture costs/quality ratio is more effective.” That said, Thiel and Hidden Bench remain very committed to Pinot Noir as their primary red grape.

In addition to early and consistent ripening, the variety is very cold hardy. Tom Pennachetti of Cave Spring Cellars, who first planted five acres of Gamay on the Beamsville Bench in 1984, describes Gamay as “in a word, it grows.” Jim Wilwerth, assistant professor of Biological Sciences and researcher at Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), concurs. Wilwerth notes that CCOVI has “tested many cultivars in Ontario, from core ones to very uncommon, and Gamay is one of the hardiest vinifera” and that it’s “one of the most resilient cultivars we grow – it’s tough.” Grape grower Craig Wismer also attests to the cold hardiness of the variety. He explains that while there was a fair amount

Photo credit: supplied by Malivoire

Courtney Gamay vines at Malivoire

of dormant bud and vine damage in winter 2021/2022 across the 300 plus sites that the Wismer family farms for themselves and others, “Gamay Noir came through as the hardiest…. especially on the Vineland Bench where we had a 95+ survival rate in the Wismer-Foxcroft vineyard.”

MAKING AND TASTING ONTARIO GAMAY

Many Ontario producers vinify Gamay like Pinot Noir: destemmed, cold soaked and regular punch downs during fermentation. There are a growing number using semi-carbonic maceration, with percentages of whole clusters varying from five to 100%. Many use stainless steel and neutral barrels, while some employ concrete fermenters. Oak treatment also varies, with some producers unfortunately still using too much new oak that smothers the bright fruit and flavours of the variety.

Though difficult to generalize, I think Ontario wineries are getting a handle on the vineyards and sub-appellations where Gamay does well. We see great and diverse examples from Lincoln Lakeshore, Vinemount Ridge, Four Mile Creek and the Beamsville and Twenty Mile Benches. After tasting dozens of Gamay my takeaway is that Gamay from the flatter, hotter Niagara-on-the-Lake sub-appellations tend to be more perfumed with juicy acidity and red fruit, while Bench Gamay leans to darker fruit, firmer acidity and tannins with less floral and spice notes.

GAMAY CRYSTAL BALL GAZING

I remember a discussion ten plus years ago with a Niagara winery who pulled out their Gamay vines because they found it too difficult to sell, only to replant it again. I think one of the reasons why Gamay has been a hard sell in Ontario is because consumers do not have a clear idea of what the variety is, or if they do, have an association with Beaujolais Nouveau, which has done little to pique consumer interest, nor highlight Gamay as a quality variety.

The tide, however, seems to be turning and not just because Cru Beaujolais is having a moment. Cave Spring’s Pennachetti believes the tannin and acid structure of Gamay makes for “a succulent style of wine that meets the demand among younger restaurant buyers and consumers,” and the bold, complex flavour profile matches “beautifully with contemporary food trends incorporating South American, Middle Eastern and South Asian dishes.” When I asked Pennachetti about his outlook for Gamay in Ontario, his response was unequivocal: “actions speak louder than words…. over the past dozen years we have more than doubled our plantings of Gamay.” Cave Spring has plans to return to making their estate Gamay again, and will release their first traditional method rosé brut made from 100% Gamay.

I remain bullish about the future of Gamay in Ontario. While Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc do well, Gamay is an undeniably worthy variety that offers good value - most are priced between $15 and $30 - spanning the gamut from bright and light to concentrated and complex, with just enough seriousness to keep them interesting.

Photo credit: supplied by Cave Spring Cellars

One of Bachelder’s seven Gamay and the most compelling in my opinion. From the Bai Xu vineyard planted in 1981, the combination of old vines and 32% whole cluster bolster and benefit this complex and intense wine. Vivid perfumed aromas and flavours of black raspberries and dark cherries with a savoury mid-palate. Aged in neutral oak barrels. Medium bodied with rounded tannins and a salivation provoking acidity. Very long dark berry finish. 13% abv.

Brokenstone ‘Unoaked’ Gamay Noir 2021, VQA Prince Edward County

Intensely fragrant nose of raspberries and cream and cinnamon spice toast. The palate displays slightly more tart fruit, think cranberry and sour cherries that are equally pleasing. Medium bodied with juicy acidity and silky smooth tannins. Very long red berry compote finish and oh-so-charming. Long live County Gamay. 12% abv.

Château des Charmes Gamay Noir 2019, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake

One of Niagara’s OG Gamay producers with vineyards dating back to the late 1970s. This unoaked Gamay made from estate-grown fruit is a consistently good and good value wine and this vintage might be the best to date. Spice and sour cherry and cranberry aromas and flavours with delicate fine tannins and crisp juicy acidity. Medium long finish. Château des Charmes also makes a Gamay “droit” worth checking out as well. 12.5% abv.

Flatrock Cellars ‘Explore Project No. 9’ Gamay 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula

This is Flatrock’s first foray into the Gamay grape and an impressive effort at that! Medium intense nose and palate of cherries, cranberries and some cinnamon spice. Dry, with juicy acidity and slightly chalky tannins. The lighter side of medium bodied with a long, dried cherry finish. 11.5% abv.

Hidden Bench Gamay ‘Unfiltered’ 2020, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore

A polished juicy Gamay with intense red berry fruit aromas and flavours along with a hint of spice and savouriness. Medium bodied and well structured with rounded tannins. Good concentration and length. 12.5% abv.

Leaning Post Gamay 2019, VQA Twenty Mile Bench

Dark cherry and blackberries on the nose and palate with a lovely savoury spice character with floral notes. Dry and medium bodied with good concentration and structure. The dark and red berry finish is long and succulent. 12% abv.

Malivoire’s Wismer Foxcroft Vineyard

Malivoire ‘Le Coeur’ Gamay 2021, VQA Beamsville Bench

Malivoire first planted Gamay in 1998 with the intention to make rosé. Fast forward several decades and they have become Niagara’s and Ontario’s flagbearer for delectable Gamay. The “Coeur” is 100% whole cluster made using semi carbonic maceration, which yields a complex yet fresh red with silky ripe tannins and juicy acidity. A bushel of red and black berries and fruits mingle with spice and tea notes on the palate and long finish. 12.5% abv.

Southbrook ‘Whimsy Clone 358’ Gamay 2020, VQA Vinemount Ridge

From the Vinemount vineyard of wine growing wizard Heather Laundry, this fresh and juicy medium-bodied Gamay radiates intense red berries and spice on the nose and palate. Delicate powdery tannins with very good concentration. One-third whole cluster. A long and pleasing finish of red and black berries with dried herb notes. Certified organic. 13% abv.

Stratus Gamay 2020, VQA Niagara-onthe-Lake

For fans of bigger, bolder styles of Gamay. Blackberry, spice and mocha notes on a fuller medium bodied frame. Dry and concentrated, the acid is slightly tart and there is a fair bit of tannin, which is ripe and will no doubt resolve in time. I would age this for several years or decant it if you plan on drinking it now. 13.8% abv.

Tawse ‘Cherry Avenue Vineyard’ Gamay Noir 2019, VQA Twenty Mile Bench

From Tawse’s first estate planting of Gamay dating back to 2014. Quite a silky and textured wine with red and black cherry aromas and flavours with hints of tea and spice. Medium bodied with rounded tannins and juicy acid. Long spicy ripe cherry finish. Aged 20% in new oak. 11.5% abv

13th Street Gamay 2020, VQA Niagara Peninsula

13th Street makes three varietal Gamay as well as a vin gris and traditional method sparkling from Gamay. This is their unoaked version, which has a purity of red and black cherry fruit and I find to be their best. Medium bodied with lively acidity and soft tannins. The palate is juicy with good concentration and a medium long finish. 13% abv.

Janet Dorozynski left life as an academic and has been tasting, judging, teaching & communicating about wine, beer and spirits from across Canada and the world for more than twenty years. She holds the WSET Diploma, a PhD from Concordia University and is a WSET Certified Educator

The New Lazio

By Michaela Morris

Photo credit: Michaela Morris

“People don’t know where Lazio is,” laments Paolo Carpineti.

Indeed, few of the millions of tourists who breeze into Rome likely realize that they are in the region of Lazio. Nor do they go there for the wine. I am guilty of this myself and admit that it took several visits to Rome before I stayed to explore Lazio’s vineyards.

I remember my first trip to Rome - for several reasons. After dragging around an overweight rolling suitcase with broken wheels in the heat of summer, I was pacified by dinner in a neighbourhood osteria that I had spied from my hotel. The deliciously homey food was perfect with the equally rustic, brassy-hued white served by the carafe. When I asked about the wine, the owner simply replied, “it’s local.”

As much as I enjoyed the vino in that moment, it played to the stereotype I had about Lazio: unsophisticated wines best consumed in situ.

This isn’t a reflection of the region itself. Lazio boasts sunshine aplenty, appropriately hilly terrain, volcanic soils and a roster of unique grapes. Rather, it speaks to the prevailing ‘quantity over quality’ philosophy of the last century. To slake the thirst of the masses, much of Lazio turned its back on its own native varieties in favour of more reliable and productive ones. The region was - and still is - awash with homogenous, high yielding whites from the dress circle of towns to the south of Rome. “We made mistakes. It was too easy to sell to Rome,” declares Francesco de Sanctis. He is the winemaker at his family’s estate in Frascati, a once admired denomination that has fallen from grace.

“The rise of Malvasia Bianca di Candia and Trebbiano Toscano in the ‘70s was the demise of the zone,” says oenologist Lorenzo Costanti-

Federico Perinelli at Casale della Ioria checking the ripeness of Cesanese d’Affile grapes with a refractometer

Photo credit: Michaela Morris

ni at the nearby Villa Simone. Nevertheless, he maintains that since changes to denomination regulations last decade capped Trebbiano Toscano to 30% of the blend, plantings have been curbed. Costantini leaves it out of his Frascati Superiore altogether. Instead, he blends the dependable Malvasia Bianca di Candia and the higher quality Lazio native Malvasia del Lazio (aka Malvasia Puntinata) with the characterful Grechetto grape.

De Sanctis’ dueling Frascati Superiore demonstrates a clear distinction between the two Malvasias. Made with 55-year-old pergola plantings of Malvasia Bianca di Candia, the estate’s ‘496 Bio’ label is a fresh aperitivo-style white with lovely citrus and almond. But the ‘Abelos,’ which sees 80% Malvasia del Lazio and 20% of zesty Bombino Bianco, is a fleshy, creamy mouthful nuanced by sage and bergamot. It has the stuffing to stand up to local fare like Cacio e Pepe or Bucatini all’Amatriciana and can even be tucked away for a couple of years.

Rising above a tarnished reputation is an uphill battle, but Lazio has far more to offer than its most infamous wine. Quality-minded producers are aiming to make a name for the region by championing its most capable native grapes, particularly Cesanese and Bellone - red and white respectively.

The Casale del Giglio estate is in the Agro Pontino Valley. Just 10 kms from the sea, the area was recovered from marshland in the ‘30s. When Dino Santarelli purchased the property in 1968, he originally cultivated it for bulk wine. In 1985, Antonio joined his father and the two launched a research project, planting and eventually micro-vinifying 57 different varieties. Initial success was with international grapes like Syrah, Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc. However, Antonio is determined to achieve the same for native Lazio grapes. “Cesanese wasn’t successful in the 1985 experiments as the area is too hot and flat,” Santarelli explains. He sought out growers inland at loftier altitudes who he continues to work with today. He has shared findings of his research and many of those growers now bottle their own wines as well – rather than simply filling the jugs of Rome’s trattorias.

To quote Nicolas Belfrage from his Brunello to Zibibbo book, Cesanese has been “produced since time immemorial” in the hills east of Rome. Attention: in typical Italian fashion, there are actually two officially registered, distinct Cesanese grapes - Cesanese Comune and Cesanese d’Affile. The former is more widely diffused in Lazio and found in the DOC of Cesanese di Olevano Romano.

To the east and upwards from there, the sub-alpine DOC of Cesanese d’Affile takes its name from the main town – Affile – as well as the grape. “Cesanese d’Affile produces very little,” says Walter Formiconi at one of just three estates in the zone. “It also has lots of tannins because the berries are smaller than (Cesanese) Comune.” Walter describes the area as once covered in vines. Today the denomination counts a mere eight hectares.

The Cesanese d’Affile grape is also associated with the DOCG of Cesanese del Piglio in the red volcanic hills south of Affile. As with the latter, viticulture was largely abandoned in the ‘70s. Paolo Perinelli at the excellent Casale della Ioria estate was among the pioneers of its renaissance. When the 2001 vintage of the estate’s barrique-aged Torre del Piano bottling garnered high praise at Vinitaly’s wine competition, the denomination received a new lease on life. “Now there are 29 estates,” says Paolo proudly.

Antonio Santarelli of Casale del Giglio

Among these, Antonello Coletti Conti describes the area of Piglio as extremely varied - in soil, altitude and exposition. “Cesanese is very sensitive to this, so it is difficult to characterize.” Unquestionable though is the challenge of ripening Cesanese to perfection. Picked too early, the skins can be very bitter. “The problem with Cesanese is that it reaches phenolic ripeness late when sugar is high. It is an ugly beast,” says Antonello affectionately.

Managing Cesanese’s potentially heady alcohol is as crucial as careful extraction, but the labour of love pays off in the glass. Cesanese is one of Italy’s fruitier reds – like a cheerful bowl of sumptuous cherries with spice and floral accents to boot. It has the gusto of Rome’s cuisine. While Cesanese may not have the ageability of Nebbiolo or Sangiovese, it certainly owns a unique spot in the matrix of Italy’s multitude of grapes. My preference is for those in which the fruit, rather than the oak, is at the fore.

Scarcer than Cesanese, Bellone is a casualty of replanting to high yielding, neutral grapes like Trebbiano Toscano in the expansive Castelli Romani hills south of Rome where it was once profuse. Today its heartland is Cori, which is further south and far enough away from Rome’s insatiable restaurants. Here, Bellone thrives in volcanic soil, bathing in the intense light reflected off the sea in the distance and cooling off at night thanks to winds from the mountains.

Translated as ‘big beauties,’ Bellone yields large bunches of buxom grapes. The resulting wine is succulent and mouth filling, offering pulpy peach and tropical fruit with a refreshing lemony lift.

At his eponymous estate, Marco Carpineti has hung his hat on Bellone. After years selling to the local Cincinnato cooperative, which he eventually became the president of, he started making wine under his own label in 1996. His Collesanti bottling is a benchmark.

“Bellone has a great diversity,” says Marco’s son Paolo. While most examples are dry and still, Bellone’s intrinsic acidity persuaded Carpineti to produce a traditional method sparkler called Kius.

“Bellone is also risky as it can change on a dime,” Paolo continues. “The pulp is firm, but the skin is delicate.” While it is susceptible to botrytis, Bellone’s sweet wines tend to be made with late harvested, raisined grapes like Carpineti’s Ludum.

Likewise, the Cincinnato co-op celebrates the versatility of Bellone making eight different versions – from tank method bubbles to grappa. Cincinnato is also the leading light when it comes to the even rarer local Nero Buono grape. The deeply coloured, juicy red makes a flavourful, savoury wine with a pleasantly bitter herbal twist. The significance of a high-quality cooperative like Cincinnato with a tight focus on Lazio’s native grapes cannot be overstated. It contributes to economic stability for all 130 of its grower members while preserving the region’s genetic heritage and diversity.

Once you open Lazio’s treasure chest of native varieties, the rewards keep coming. And if the region aspires to make itself known on the wine map, it is to these strengths that it must play.

Photo credit: Michaela Morris Vineyards at Formiconi

Photo credit: Michaela Morris

Michaela Morris is an international wine writer, educator and speaker based in Vancouver, Canada. She has worked in various capacities of the industry for 25 years. Besides holding the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma, Michaela is an Italian Wine Expert certified through Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) and leads seminars on Italian wine around the globe. Not surprisingly, her go-to cocktail is a negroni.

Casale del Giglio Bellone IGT Lazio 2021 $22

Not included in the estate’s original experimental plantings in 1985, Casale del Giglio’s Bellone hails from sandy soil giving a particularly perfumed expression. Fragrant white blossom and Mediterranean herb lace through apricot and pineapple. Fleshy fruit weighs plumply on the palate and is buoyed with super snappy acidity. Tactile and engaging, it lingers with dried mango.

Sergio Mottura Poggio della Costa Grechetto di Civitella d’Agliano IGT 2018 $30

In the far northern corner of Lazio, Sergio Mottura has nurtured the Grechetto grape for almost 60 years. Bursting with personality, the unoaked Poggio della Costa sings of sage, mint and camomile on a backdrop of salted pineapple. While made for drinking young, it can stand up to a few years in the bottle taking on candied lemon and hints of blanched almond.

Casale del Giglio Cesanese IGT Lazio Rosso $25

Gorgeously scented - cinnamon, pepper and rose emerge confidently with each swirl. Replete with red cherry, plum and succulent tropical red fruit, the lush and creamy palate is caressed by velvety textured tannins. This gets quite a lift from its cranberry-like acidity.

Formiconi Cisinianum Cesanese d’Afile DOC 2018 $25

Aged in stainless steel rather than wood, Cisinianum sports a piercing nose of black cherry and clove. With an earthy, foresty character, this fleshy, juicy mouthful is simply begging for a bowl of fresh porcini pasta.

Casale della Ioria Cesanese del Piglio Superiore DOCG 2019 $35

Spiced wild berries make way for heady, pure floral notes of violet and crushed allspice. Expanding sumptuously, dense rich fruit is hemmed in by smooth tannins. There is a background nuance of nutmeg and a definitive black pepper twist on the finish.

2019 Cincinnato Erole Nero Buono IGT Lazio $25

Distinct and compelling, aromas express balsamic herbs, pine forest and leather. On the palate, tangy blackcurrants and rhubarb are gripped in grainy tannins. Ends with a salty lick of licorice. So savoury and sapid, this makes you salivate for an irony steak.