Winemaker Notes
The vibrant bright red color and clarity belies the high-toned fruit purity in the mouth, backed with the pine and hops of whole-cluster fermentation. The Zing level is high, crunchy to the max. Mashable in a savory, structured, refined sort of way.
Professional Ratings
-
The Somm Journal
The own-rooted Gamay featured in this wine was planted in 2016 and struggles to survive in the extreme diurnal temperature swings of Ballard Canyon. (Stolpman sources some of the fruit elsewhere in Santa Barbara County.) Carbonic maceration for this variety is natural à la Beaujolais, and no sulfur is added. Solorzano’s unique penmanship is featured on the handwritten labels—and what does GDG stand for? It’s Tom Stolpman’s reaction to Pete growing this grape: “You planted goddamn Gamay?!” Earthy, with rhubarb, salted plum, oregano, and dried rose petals, this bright, charming wine has a true savory side and a crunchy texture.
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.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.