While Pinot Noir and Chardonnay will always be considered the “noble” varieties of Burgundy, we’ve all learned something new recently: Ignore Gamay at your own peril! Not only has the best Cru Beaujolais reminded everyone that Gamay, and Beaujolais, are indeed part of Burgundy, we’ve come to recognize the close kinship of Gamay and Pinot Noir—which not only commingle in southern Burgundy’s vineyards but often resemble one another as wines.
We keep encountering compelling Gamay wines from seemingly ‘unlikely’ places, until we dig a little deeper and realize they’ve been hiding in plain sight. The most obvious non-Beaujolais locale is its immediate neighbor to the north, the Mâcon, where red wines are just as likely to be from Gamay as Pinot Noir. Jean Rijckaert’s 2015 “Correaux,” from 50-year-old Gamay vines in the Mâcon village of Leynes, is a lush, fragrant, supremely affordable way to explore not only the tangled relationship of Pinot Noir and Gamay but an obscure little pocket of the Burgundy landscape. Many of you plunged into Rijckaert’s 2014 last year and I’m happy to report that the 2015 is a slightly riper, fuller expression that retains its purity, perfume and freshness. Whether from Burgundy or the Jura, Rijckaert’s wines—both red and white—are impeccable across the board. Its obscurity notwithstanding, this is one of the great red wine values of the year.
Gamay is actually the spawn of Pinot Noir—according to the estimable British MW Jancis Robinson, it is the love child of Pinot Noir and an obscure white grape called Gouais Blanc—and is found throughout Burgundy, but it’s never gotten the respect of Pinot Noir. Gamay is hardier, more productive, easier to grow, and therefore less prestigious, and yet there are pockets of it all over the Pinot-dominated hills of Burgundy (culty Meursault producer Arnaud Ente bottles a sought-after Gamay from super-old vines in that village). The Mâcon is the borderland where Pinot country gives way to Gamay country, but the ‘Coteaux Bourguignons’ AOC designation used here by Jean Rijckaert covers the entirety of Burgundy (it replaced the ‘Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire’ designation in 2011).
Rijckaert (pronounced RYE-kirt), a long-established winemaker in the Mâcon who farms four hectares of his own vines while also working with purchased fruit. He crafts a rather broad array of wines, mostly whites, including some from Côte de Beaune appellations (he also makes some stunning Jura wines, which we’ve also offered here, from 5.5 hectares in and around Arbois). “Correaux” is the name of the Rijckaert’s Gamay vineyard in Leynes, where he also lives, which provides the deeply concentrated, old-vine fruit for this wine. East-facing, with sandy/granitic soils more in line with what’s found in Beaujolais than Beaune (the Beaujolais cru village of Fleurie is about 20 minutes south), Correaux delivered ripe, softly contoured fruit in 2014; even though the grapes were only 30% de-stemmed, there’s not much whole-cluster ‘grippiness’ here. It is aged only in tank, allowing its bright, pure fruit to shine through.
The 2015 “Correaux” shows a dark, concentrated ruby with pink highlights at the rim. With your nose in the glass, your first thought wouldn’t be Gamay. The high-toned, Pinot-like perfume reflects serious Burgundy and I would be hesitant to leave that category if blind-tasting this wine. Red and black cherry, black raspberry liqueur and licorice drive the nose. Wild floral and earth components of violet, crushed rock, sage, and underbrush also trickle in, serving to complete the aromatic waves. On the palate, the wine is softly textured and medium-bodied with ample amounts of acidity despite the warm 2015 vintage. That said, do not underestimate its strength and depth! This is a delicious, ready-to-drink wine that will trend in a positive light over the next five years, although I’ve had many a serious Gamay that have shined bright at 10 years of age and beyond. Drink this in Burgundy stems and give it a 15-20 minute decant to jolt it to life. Pop it alongside the attached ham and parsley terrine; essentially a pâté. Enjoy!
