Gamay, Timok Valley, Serbia

A truly singular kinda-Gamay from one of the new frontiers of natural wine, which actually lies within one of the oldest wine regions of the world, Serbia! Priced out of France, Cyrille Bongiraud (the former soil consultant for fancy places like Zind Humbrecht and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) and his wife, Estelle, spent years searching for a place to start their wine project until their car literally broke down Rogljevo, a long forgotten region in Serbia’s northeast with a winemaking tradition stretching back some 2000 years. Working with an old, near-relative of Gamay called Manchot à Petits Grains – literally ‘of the small berries’ – that was introduced during the phylloxera exodus from France, this deep, structured red has a touch more tannin and weight than regular Gamay thanks to its naturally low yields and old, 50 year old vines. Bramble, funk and peppery spice come together in a disarmingly light and delicate package with notes of cranberry, green herbs and menthol, followed by ripe, savoury tannins. Begs for a braise.
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