This is the first bottling under the M2 label - which stands for "Malivoire" (owner's name) and "Mottiar" (winemaker's name). It only stands to reason that Gamay should be the lead off wine in this line. An why not, Gamay has traditionally been the bell-weather of the vintage, the canary in a coal mine of what is to come. M2 is a selection of the best and/or most unique barrels of Gamay from the vintage, and it really does stand out from the Malivoire straight '09 Gamay. The nose is a more pronounced with all-spice and the fruit is a dark, almost black, cherry. 45% of the wine is oaked for 6 months, while the other 55% sees stainless steel. There's a spiced black cherry flavour with hints of vanilla and nutmeg thru the mouth; the finish is long and loaded with black cherry and spice. A lovely and special inaugural M2 and a great bell-weather of things to come in this line. I'm really glad to see Malivoire kept the price the same as their regular Gamay. Price: $17.95 - Rating: *****