For those of you who love Gamay we have a new / old player in town – it has been many years since we have seen a Gamay from the folks at Hillebrand and never in their Trius line-up … but once again we have something new and fun from the mind of head winemaker Craig McDonald: 70% of the wine was stainless steel aged, while the other 30% was given 6 months in barrel, giving the wine a little more oomph in the mouth. The result is a wine that shows lots of black cherry on the nose while adding white pepper and hints of violet to that beautiful cherry fruit on the palate, ending with a lovely long finish. I had asked Craig about a potential Trius Gamay about a year ago – I guess the old saying “ask and ye shall receive” truly does fit in this instance. Chill for added enjoyment. Price: $19.95 – Rating: ****+