The SOMM Journal: Savoring the Season, Seaside Style
Featured in the March/April 2021 edition
From our Wine Director Ali Yakich:
“The Belle Pente 2017 Gamay Noir from the Willamette Valley is such a special, big spice driven Gamay. Belle Pente practices organic and Biodynamic viticulture with its three-level gravity flow facility. The name means “beautiful slope,” [referring to the property] in Yamhill-Carlton, which inspires [owner] Brian O’Donnelll to draw inspiration from Old World wine-growing traditional. I think the terroir leads this Gamay to be the perfect pairing with beef stew. The vines were planted in 1994 and the winery has celebrated the difference in its estate Pinot Noir versus [its] Gamay Noir ever since. It has such a warming spice on the palate, finishing with medium tannin and dark fruits; slightly rustic cedar notes complement rich beef and aromatics.”
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