WineVarietalsRedOther Reds
The famous grape of Beaujolais. It is traditionally mass-produced in
the maceration carbonique style of vinification. These are wines that should
be drunk very young and very fresh although vinified wines from Beaujolais
nine classic crus can be aged like other red wines and, after 10 or 15 years,
will develop Pinot noir varietal traits. This may just be a phenomenon or,
as some believe occur because the grape is possibly the result of an ancient
natural clone of the Pinot noir. In France, the synonym Gamay Beaujolais
is used for the true Gamay but in California it is the synonym of the Pinot
noir. As Leon Adams notes in "The Wines of America", this erroneous
American synonym arose out of genuine confusion when Paul Masson brought
back to his winery several Burgundian grapes, one of which he honestly believed
to be the Gamay of Beaujolais. It was positively identified as the Pinot
noir in the mid-1960s, but by this time several Californian wineries were
selling their own brand of Gamay Beaujolais. Before its true identity was
revealed another grape - the Napa gamay - that had been cultivated in California
for some time, was identified as the true Gamay.
Synonyms: Blaufrankisch, Borgogna crna, Bourgvignon noir, Frankinja
crna, Frankinja modra, Gaamez, Gamay Beaujolais, Gamay noir, Gamay noir
a jus blanc, Gamay rond, Kekfrankos, Limberger, Napa gamay, Petit gamai,
Garnay teinturiers, Gamay freaux, Gamay de bouze, Gamay de chaudenay, Gamay
Castille, Gamay teinturier mouro, Freaux hatif