Bonnet Cotton Gamay 2023

Pierre Cotton left a job as a motorcycle mechanic, learned from leading natural growers in the Loire, then returned to the family winery beside the famous Cote de Brouilly to make minimal intervention wines. This Gamay comes from a single hectare in Beaujolais Villages, planted on the granite and schist soils that define the region and give Gamay its bright, mineral fruit. The wine is made by carbonic maceration, where whole bunches ferment inside the intact berry before pressing. This technique extracts colour and vivid red fruit while keeping tannin low and adding the lifted, sometimes banana-like aromatics typical of the method. Farming is natural and low input, with native yeasts and minimal handling in the cellar. The colour is a bright, light ruby. The nose shows red berries, cherry, a floral note and a touch of banana from the carbonic ferment, while the palate is juicy and supple, with lively acidity, very little tannin and a fresh finish. Serve at 13 to 15 degrees, with a light chill in warm weather. It suits charcuterie, roast chicken and grilled salmon.