Oregon wine: 2019 Bjornson Vineyard Estate Gamay noir

2019 Bjornson Vineyard Estate Gamay noir

Bjornson Vineyard,
Eola-Amity Hills,
Willamette Valley,
Oregon

12.2% alcohol

Empty bottle weight: 17.0 ounces // 483 grams

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LIVE-certified vineyard

75 cases produced

Made with all estate-grown fruit from the Bjornson Vineyard, this Gamay is an interesting expression that really evolved with additional exposure to oxygen! The distinction between my first impressions and those aromas and flavors I found at the bottom of the bottle was enough for me to proclaim this to be a two-act wine. Most wines have some evolution in the glass but this wine’s journey was one unlike anything I’ve experienced before!

I reached out to Bjornson’s winemaker Scott Sabbadini and learned he made a unique fermentation decision with this particular wine. Two barrels of Gamay grapes were traditionally fermented but the third barrel went through a technique called carbonic maceration, where intact grapes are placed into an oxygen-free vessel. Without air, the yeast can’t launch the fermentation process so the grapes instead use carbon dioxide to break down their malic acid and sugars, essentially fermenting from the inside-out. Scott then used another age-old technique, pigeage, also known as foot-stomping, on the grapes that went through carbonic maceration. This helped to further break them down in the most delicate of manners. The result is a study of a wine fermented two ways, hence a two-act wine with layers of complexity!