Ah, the lovely Gamay grape, how far you have fallen – banished from Burgundy as an inferior variety you now live on the fridge of that illustrious region in a place called Beaujolais. You make elegant and some ageworthy wine and yet the world has pigeon-holed you into a sweet candied confection wine called Beaujolais Nouveau – I hang my head in despair. Now just hold on a second folks, before you go running the other way from Gamay and head straight for your Pinots and Cabs, let me tell you that there are some serious Gamay’s being made right here in Ontario, in fact you’re reading the review of one of those right now. This Courtney Gamay is sourced from a one-acre plot of land and thinned to give maximum concentration to the hanging fruit. It is then aged 14 months in 50% new French oak, the other goes into 1-2 years old barrels. The result is a fun wine with a serious side. The nose is black cherry and ripe strawberry, vibrant and inviting. The palate is intense with rich red fruit, some vanilla and cinnamon tones and a titch of tannins; lush and lovely in the mouth. Only 75 cases were produced so there’s a very limited quantity of this beauty available. Gamay fans, go get it – if you’re not one, maybe it’s time to find out what you’re missing. Price: $29.95 – Rating: *****