Wine of the Week: Six Eighty Cellars 2024 Gamay Noir
I don't necessarily love these types of comparisons but this is as "old world" a gamay as I've tasted from New York
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Another week, another impressive gamay—this one from the Finger Lakes.
(And another gamay that is going to be in my February wine club shipment!)
I’ve long hated things like “this WHATEVER tastes like its from INSERT OTHER, MORE-ESTABLISHED REGION.” If that’s the goal for a producer, that’s a failure. But sometimes it can be a useful tool when I’m describing a wine and trying to differentiate it from other similar wines.
In this case, Six Eighty Cellars 2024 Gamay Noir ($32*) is the most Old World, Beaujolais-esque expression of New York gamay I’ve tasted.
What does that mean? It means that while it has some nice red berry aromas and flavors, there’s also a lot of the rocky, gravelly minerality that I associate with gamay’s most famous regional home.
The nose starts with that rocky, gravel-driveway-after-a-rain-storm character with cranberry and red cherry fruit, and a subtle earthy spice layer beneath.
Juicy and medium-bodied, the palate matches the nose perfectly, striking that minerally-fruity balance perfectly. The tannins are light and powdery and the finish is long and spice-tinged.
Six Eighty Cellars 2024 Gamay Noir
Region: Finger Lakes AVA (New York)
ABV: 12.2%
RS: 0.2%
TA: 8 g/L
pH: 3.26
Grapes: 100% gamay noir
Production: 68 cases
Rating: 92 pts
Price: $32* (Available Here)
*Sample provided by winery