Jean-Francois Merieau Gamay de Touraine Bois Jacou 2011
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Other Vintages
2022- Decanter
The winery is based on a rich history that stretches back for generations. It’s not unusual to see three generations in the winery at the same time. Much of the winery and tasting room is in a cave that was carved during the time of the Knights Templar (14th century). The “new” structure that houses many of the tanks was used by American soldiers during World War I and some left inscriptions on the walls.
The wines, however, are anything but old-fashioned. The Sauvignon Blanc bottlings benefit from the rich clay and limestone soil and are exotic and often rich with underlying brightness and acidity. The old vine Gamay and Cot are snappy with delicious, lingering fruit. The sparkling is hand-harvested, vintage Touraine with little dosage. It’s the real deal in Touraine.
Delightfully playful, but also capable of impressive gravitas, Gamay is responsible for juicy, berry-packed wines. From Beaujolais, Gamay generally has three classes: Beaujolais Nouveau, a decidedly young, fruit-driven wine, Beaujolais Villages and Cru Beaujolais. The Villages and Crus are highly ranked grape growing communes whose wines are capable of improving with age whereas Nouveau, released two months after harvest, is intended for immediate consumption. Somm Secret—The ten different Crus have their own distinct personalities—Fleurie is delicate and floral, Côte de Brouilly is concentrated and elegant and Morgon is structured and age-worthy.
Stretching east along the steep banks of the Loire River, Touraine is a major part of the Middle Loire. Soil variations of clay, sand, tuffeau and gravel throughout its subregions support both white and red varieties. Chinon and Bourgueil remain the source of Loire’s finest Cabernet Franc; various styles of the most outstanding Chenin blanc come from Vouvray and Montlouis.