Tonight Jon cracked open the Glacial Lake Missoula 2011 Gamay Noir. It is the first vintage of this Gamay Noir, which is sourced from Rebecca’s Vineyard in Southern Oregon.
Glacial Lake Missoula is located in Blaine, Washington, near home. This local winery produces small batch wines, sourcing from some of the best vineyards in Washington and Oregon. The 2011 Gamay Noir is sourced from Rebecca’s Vineyard in the Umpqua Valley, in southern Oregon. The higher temperatures make for a more robust wine than the grapes from the Willamette Valley further north.
The wine has a ripe blackberry nose, and is fruit forward with flavors of blackberry and cherry. It has very low tannins and a mellow acidity. It was made by bleeding off 25% of the juice, and aging the rest for eight months in new French Oak Hogsheads.
This is a drink now wine, so enjoy!
Wine and History Visited 
Nice to know someone out there is making Gamay Noir. I’d love to be able to drink a good Gamay other than overpriced Beaujolais.
Chris
Chehalem Winery in Newberg Oregon makes a great Gamay too. It used to be blended with 20% Pinot Noir and called Cerise, but now they are doing 100% Gamay, and they are just calling it Gamay Noir. Both are really good.