2015 La Lunotte (C. Foucher), “Les P’tites Vignes” Gamay, Vin de France

Region: Loire Valley < France 
Grapes: Gamay
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Soil, if you can call it that, is two fingers worth of slate dust; low, bush-trained, dry-farmed vines; zero additives in the vineyard or cellar; unfined/unfiltered; 166 cases made
Winemaker: Christophe Foucher

Christophe Foucher lives alone in a small stone house that isn’t too different than the one on the label. Working 5 hectares, he does everything by hand, including the bottling and labeling of each wine. Petites Vignes, as the name suggests, is from the “young” 30 year-old Gamay vines. No additions made at any point during the winemaking process. This wine is fermented and aged in old barrels, bottled after 7 months and meant to be a Vin de Soif, or thirst-quenching red. 2015 was a warm year in France but unlike in Burgundy or Beaujolais, where the heat was excessive and unwelcome, in the Loire it was a welcome respite from the usually miserable weather of cold, fog, and rain, which breed rot and mildew. The warmth of 2015 gave Christophe beautiful, ripe, and clean fruit, full of joy and sunshine. Drink cold and allocate at least a half bottle per person.