Stolpman Vineyards 'GDG' Gamay Santa Barbara County 2020

When Tom Stolpman arrived at Villa Angeli on a Friday afternoon in 2016, he saw some new re-plantings, and asked what they were. “Oh, that’s the new gamay!” “YOU PLANTED GOD DAMNED GAMAY!?” And thus the GDG was named. Stolpman Vineyards has been experimenting with gamay since 2016, when they own-rooted their first gamay block. Ballard Canyon has extreme winds and diurnal shifts, and yields remain low as the grapes struggle to establish themselves. In the meantime, the crew at Stolpman are grafting gamay onto rootstock, and augmenting their production with fruit grown at the biodynamically farmed Martian Ranch in Santa Barbara County, as well as the organically farmed Presqu'ile vineyard overlooking Santa Maria. The resulting cuvées are part of the “So Fresh” lineup, which features wines made through carbonic fermentation, with no sulfur added. The 2020 GDG is a vibrant mix of spiced strawberries, crushed herbs, and a hint of cherry cordial, all with a light-bodied, juicy character that just begs to be lightly chilled and served al fresco, picnic-style! Organically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.