2023 Benevolent Neglect Gamay Noir Carneros Napa Valley 750 ml

Benevolent Neglect’s Matt Nagy boasts an eye-popping résumé. He earned his stripes working alongside Napa legend Thomas Rivers Brown, making 100-point wines at Seaver Vineyards that sold for more than $400 per bottle. Then he changed tack, taking a position with Steve Matthiasson at the vanguard of California’s non-interventionist movement. Now he devotes his time to Benevolent Neglect and serves as a consulting winemaker for Napa’s swanky Ashes & Diamonds.

Benevolent Neglect’s name says a lot about Matt’s hands-off approach in the cellar. He simply does as little as he can to the wines, following that ethos toward the larger goal of making wines that are delicious and sound. The label’s success is evident in the fact that it has graced the list at MICHELIN-starred destinations like SingleThread, The Clove Club, and The Fat Duck. 

Benevolent Neglect’s 2023 Gamay is the kind of red that makes you wonder why more California winemakers don’t move heaven and earth to get their hands on excellent Gamay (or maybe even plant it themselves). With a dark ruby core in the glass, it’s got aromas of crushed violet and lilac accompanying notes of cranberry, blood orange peel, and a hint of holiday spice. The palate is bright and pure, with red fruit in the midpalate, freshness, electric acidity, supple tannins, and a lovely lasting finish. 

Gamay, the grape of France’s famed Beaujolais, is rare in California—so sparsely planted that it does not even merit a line in California’s Grape Acreage Report. The fruit for this bottling came from a newly planted site on the Napa side of Carneros, where foggy mornings and breezy afternoons stretch the growing season and preserve the variety’s natural acidity.

Matt and his crew treated this wine to nine days of carbonic maceration, a hat tip to classic Beaujolais. It then aged 16 months in 20% new French oak, resulting in a vibrant and lifted, generously red-fruited wine with beautiful structure. Gamay is made to pair with food, and this one will go perfectly with grilled salmon, roast chicken, or a thick portobello sandwich complete with char from the grill.