Domaine Saint Nicholas Gammes d’Été

Domaine Saint Nicholas lurks right at the very end of the Loire delta within spitting distance of the Atlantic on a bed of clay, silex (flint) and schist (metamorphic rock formed from basalt, shale or slate). Thierry Michon, the powerhouse behind Domaine Saint Nicholas, is a flag flyer for biodynamics and has introduced “buffer” zones around his vineyards to prevent chemical seepage from surrounding winemakers’ parcels, further cementing his reputation as a leader of France’s biodynamic movement. Forty hectares of horse and tractor work is tough, specially reared cows used purely for their manure, add in hand harvesting and a dose of foot treading and you can see how dedicated Thierry is to his religion. Having been established in 1960 by Thierry’s father, Patrice, Thierry and his brother Eric joined the Domaine Saint Nicholas team in 1984 and began the breaking of the local wine traditions, ushering in an utterly biodynamic and utterly organic, soil is king approach. And now let us consider this Gammes D’ Éte. 100% Gamay with a darker cherry than the Gamays of Beaujolais, hand picked, hand sorted, pressed and macerated for 8 days in stainless steel prior to 6 months in French oak foudres (1000l) all courtesy of some natural yeasts. Unfined. According to Thierry himself, this is what to look out for…a pale salmon with orange reflections, red berries, spices and sea breezes, plenty of red fruit flavours with a good balance between fresh and fruity finishing with a nice salinity. Amidst this dedication, an accordion is liable to be picked up randomly.