Gamay, The Disloyal Grape

Gamay is a playful little grape, bursting with fun and eager to please. It’s delicious when young and just a little moreish. Often a glass begets a bottle.

Little wonder then that there have been mornings when, throat dry and head throbbing, I have sworn: “never again”. The sentiment rarely lasts. The impact of my overindulgence is minimal. I move on.

Not so for Philip II, aka Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.

I assume that his edict on the morning of 31 July 1395 was his attempt to slay the dog that bit him. No doubt Gamay had seduced him the previous evening with her easy-going charms.

The Supremacy of Pinot Noir

At the time Burgundy was battling to establish the reputation and value of its wines. Philip took a personal interest in winemaking and in promoting the wines of his territory.

Barrels of his finest Burgundy travelled as diplomatic gifts to kings and rulers. It was an enterprising way to increase its notoriety, popularity and price.

But Pinot Noir is a bit of a rotter.

The grapes make delicious wine, but it is hard work and yields can be low. Gamay, by contrast, was productive and easier to grow. For farmers who needed a reliable crop, that was rather attractive.

The Disloyal Grape

Philip thought his farmers were cutting corners and that “Gameez”, as it was called in his ordinance, was damaging the reputation of Burgundy. His decree described it as a “very bad and disloyal variety” and ordered the vines to be removed.

He went considerably further, claiming the wine was harmful to those who drank it. Which, to me, still sounds rather like a grumpy man after a night of over-consumption. Simply put, sour grapes.

Philip appointed officers to see that his order was carried out. The restrictions did not make Gamay disappear, however. In 1441 his grandson, Philip the Good, had to reinforce them, with further restrictions following under later rulers.

Philip the Bold tried to get rid of Gamay. Philip the Good had to try again. History has been rather kinder to the grape than either of their names might suggest.

Philip the Good’s intervention is perhaps the best indication that his grandfather’s edict had not quite achieved its aim. Nearly half a century later, Gamay was still sufficiently troublesome for another Duke of Burgundy to have another go at getting rid of it.

The problem was simple enough. Whatever the dukes thought of Gamay, growers had rather more practical concerns. A grape that cropped reliably and ripened readily had obvious attractions. Ducal disapproval was one thing; making a living was another.

Beaujolais, the Saviour

Luckily for us, Gamay found a home just to the south in Beaujolais. The region proved to suit the grape remarkably well, particularly the granite and related soils of the northern hills.

This is where the story becomes more interesting than the old idea of Gamay as Burgundy’s troublesome lesser relation. In Beaujolais it can make everything from bright, juicy wines for drinking young to concentrated cru wines that develop for years in bottle.

If you want the classifications, the ten crus and the winemaking explained in more detail, our guide to Beaujolais wine covers the region properly.

The Siblings

For all the abuse thrown at Gamay over the centuries, its pedigree is rather more respectable than its reputation suggests.

Modern genetic research has shown Gamay to be a natural offspring of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. And it is not the only notable result of that particular union. Chardonnay has exactly the same parents.

So our supposedly “very bad and disloyal” Gamay is, genetically at least, rather nobly bred. Pinot Noir is its parent and Chardonnay its sibling. Philip the Bold might have preferred one branch of the family, but Gamay was hardly the dubious interloper his edict made it sound.

Which brings us to one of those pleasing absurdities that French wine does so well.

Gamay takes its name from the hamlet of Gamay, part of Saint-Aubin in Burgundy. Yet Gamay is no longer permitted in Saint-Aubin wines. Today the vineyards around Saint-Aubin are overwhelmingly planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Travel a little further south, however, and you arrive at the village of Chardonnay in the Mâconnais. Here Gamay is permitted. Red wine made from it can be sold as Mâcon-Chardonnay Rouge.

So you cannot make Gamay in Gamay, but you can make Gamay in Chardonnay. Meanwhile Chardonnay is grown in Gamay.

You have to love French bureaucracy.

So what does Gamay wine taste like?

Gamay wine commonly has bright red fruit such as raspberry, strawberry and cherry, often with floral notes including violet and peony. Acidity tends to be lively and tannins relatively gentle, which is one reason lighter examples are so easy to enjoy slightly chilled.

But that is only one end of the scale. Warmer vintages, old vines and individual cru sites can give darker fruit, more tannin and considerably more structure. Morgon, Chénas and Côte de Brouilly can be a long way from the light, youthful style many people associate with the grape.

Carbonic maceration and all that

Gamay is closely associated with whole-bunch fermentation and semi-carbonic maceration. These methods can emphasise fresh fruit and floral aromas while extracting relatively little tannin, which suits the grape rather well.

That does not mean all Gamay tastes like Beaujolais Nouveau. Producers vary the length of maceration, extraction and ageing according to the vineyard and the wine they want to make. Some of the more serious wines spend much longer developing before release.

There is a fuller explanation of carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration in the Beaujolais guide.

There is another reason Gamay deserves better than its old reputation. It is remarkably transparent to where it is grown. A light, fragrant Chiroubles and a darker, firmer Morgon can seem quite different wines, despite both being made from the same grape only a short distance apart.

That is part of the fun of Beaujolais. Gamay is easy enough to enjoy without knowing anything about it, but there is plenty to discover once you start comparing villages, vineyards and growers.

What Gamay should I try?

If you are new to the grape, Beaujolais-Villages is a good place to start. It shows the bright fruit and freshness that make Gamay immediately appealing without pretending that all Beaujolais is the same.

For something lighter and more fragrant, try Chiroubles or Fleurie. If you want more depth, look towards Morgon, Chénas or Côte de Brouilly. Our Beaujolais wines to try article picks five bottles that show that progression particularly well.

Gamay is also very good slightly chilled. Around 13–15°C works well for the lighter wines, and its combination of fruit, freshness and moderate tannin makes it good with charcuterie, roast chicken, pork, sausages and mushroom dishes.

And if your experience begins and ends with Beaujolais Nouveau, try an old-vine or mature cru. Philip the Bold might not have approved, but I suspect he was missing out.

Browse our Gamay wines, or explore the wider Beaujolais range.