2020 David Large Gamayhameha
Region: Beaujolais < France
Grape: Gamay
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic/biodynamic farming; 50 year old vines
on stony clay soils; 11 days semi-carbonic maceration in concrete
tanks, then aged in concrete; bottled unfined/unfiltered with zero
added So2; zero-zero; 13% ABV
Winemaker: David Large
David Large is a young vigneron based in Montmelas, a mountainous area
of the Southwest Beaujolais. He has all the natty winemaker creds: a
family history of winemaking stretching back to 1840, diplomas from
the elite schools, and experience working with the natural wine greats
in the Rhône where he discovered biodynamic farming. Yet he views
becoming a great winemaker to be a process of “unlearning”.
His farms a bunch of micro-parcels around the area, with soils that
are predominantly granite, clay and the “Pierres Dorées”, a local and
unique limestone formation pigmented with iron oxide, all with a
volcanic rock base that Gamay vines especially love. He does
everything himself, down to driving the delivery truck and composing
the verses inscribed on the side of his wine labels - David is an
enthusiastic rapper and poetry aficionado. Even the names of the
individual wines are personal, like this “Gamayhameha” that is an
homage to Dragonball, a popular anime series he watched as a kid (he's
a HUGE anime fan). His fixation on terroir specificity means that he
vinifies and bottles almost every plot separately, resulting in as
many as 18 different cuvées from his small 5 hectare estate, so
there's not much to go around.
The grapes for 'Gamayhameha' come from a small, old vineyard of stony
clay soils in the lieu-dit (specific part of a single vineyard) called
La Caillotiere in the village of Denicé. The wine is concentrated,
with a silkiness and depth to the bright berry fruit, and some grippy,
slightly peppery structure. It’s floral and seductive, and then it’s
all stony and layered in the mouth. Not a one-dimensional glou glou
bottling, this is a serious example of how playful yet complex Gamay
can be in the right hands.
Grape: Gamay
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic/biodynamic farming; 50 year old vines
on stony clay soils; 11 days semi-carbonic maceration in concrete
tanks, then aged in concrete; bottled unfined/unfiltered with zero
added So2; zero-zero; 13% ABV
Winemaker: David Large
David Large is a young vigneron based in Montmelas, a mountainous area
of the Southwest Beaujolais. He has all the natty winemaker creds: a
family history of winemaking stretching back to 1840, diplomas from
the elite schools, and experience working with the natural wine greats
in the Rhône where he discovered biodynamic farming. Yet he views
becoming a great winemaker to be a process of “unlearning”.
His farms a bunch of micro-parcels around the area, with soils that
are predominantly granite, clay and the “Pierres Dorées”, a local and
unique limestone formation pigmented with iron oxide, all with a
volcanic rock base that Gamay vines especially love. He does
everything himself, down to driving the delivery truck and composing
the verses inscribed on the side of his wine labels - David is an
enthusiastic rapper and poetry aficionado. Even the names of the
individual wines are personal, like this “Gamayhameha” that is an
homage to Dragonball, a popular anime series he watched as a kid (he's
a HUGE anime fan). His fixation on terroir specificity means that he
vinifies and bottles almost every plot separately, resulting in as
many as 18 different cuvées from his small 5 hectare estate, so
there's not much to go around.
The grapes for 'Gamayhameha' come from a small, old vineyard of stony
clay soils in the lieu-dit (specific part of a single vineyard) called
La Caillotiere in the village of Denicé. The wine is concentrated,
with a silkiness and depth to the bright berry fruit, and some grippy,
slightly peppery structure. It’s floral and seductive, and then it’s
all stony and layered in the mouth. Not a one-dimensional glou glou
bottling, this is a serious example of how playful yet complex Gamay
can be in the right hands.