After contracting a vineyard in the Lincoln-Lakeshore appellation in 2013, and planting the first crop in 2016, Hidden Bench Estate Winery has joined the growing #GoGamayGo fan club and released two certified organic Gamay Noirs, in 2020. The first offering was bottled under the Hidden Bench label and is crafted in a 'cru' style by winemaker Johnston, the second Gamay was released under the natural series label called Rachis & Derma, loosely translated to skin and bones, and made in a more reductive style that's unfined, unfiltered and sees nothing added but a tiny bit of sulphur at bottling. I retasted the traditional style Gamay (the first sample wasn't bottled when last tasted) with Thiel and Johnston at this tasting. This has a lovely nose of savoury plums, earth, red berries and light spice notes. This is highly crushable on the palate with persistent notes of raspberries, cherries, plums, light tannins, touch of reduction and rousing acidity through a tangy, juicy finish. Upon retasting, the reductive notes are much more integrated and the spices are more prominent. Score - 92. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, Jan. 4, 2021)
Hidden Bench Estate Gamay 2020
SKU 302c2c78-3da9-4795-9a30-14d87a89c475
After contracting a vineyard in the Lincoln-Lakeshore appellation in 2013, and planting the first crop in 2016, Hidden Bench Estate Winery has joined the growing #GoGamayGo fan club and released two certified organic Gamay Noirs, in 2020. The first offering was bottled under the Hidden Bench label and is crafted in a 'cru' style by winemaker Johnston, the second Gamay was released under the natural series label called Rachis & Derma, loosely translated to skin and bones, and made in a more reductive style that's unfined, unfiltered and sees nothing added but a tiny bit of sulphur at bottling. I retasted the traditional style Gamay (the first sample wasn't bottled when last tasted) with Thiel and Johnston at this tasting. This has a lovely nose of savoury plums, earth, red berries and light spice notes. This is highly crushable on the palate with persistent notes of raspberries, cherries, plums, light tannins, touch of reduction and rousing acidity through a tangy, juicy finish. Upon retasting, the reductive notes are much more integrated and the spices are more prominent. Score - 92. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, Jan. 4, 2021)
