Dominique Piron 2022 Vin de France Gamay, "Coq Leon"

If there is a more French looking label I cannot imagine what it could be. Everything about this simple, supple, "lets open another bottle" red screams French bistro from first glance to last sip. Labeled Vin de France because, even though all the fruit is from Beaujolais, there is 5% Gamaret added to the Gamay so Piron is not permitted to call the wine a Beaujolais. Gamaret was introduced in the 90s with the hope that it would be allowed as a blending variety but alas, it never came to be. Some producers, like Piron, have vines planted to Gamaret and they like adding it to Gamay for a darker colored wine that still retains light, bright fruit and acidity, so wines perfect for all foods on the table and absolutely suitable for chilling.

We have not been able to keep chillable reds in stock so when our August Wine of the Month, a chillable Gamay from the Loire Valley, sold out in record time I knew I wanted to stay on theme and get our chill requesting wine lovers another red wine to sip on through the sweaty months of summer. So here's the thing, I immediately thought of this juicy, customer favorite as a stand in, got on the phone with the importer and begged for the last they had, which is only 14 cases. If the fever with which our Loire Valley Gamay sold out is any indicator, this wine will too be sold out in record time. Vibrant red fruit, some cool flinty notes, light body, slightly chalky and with a playful scrape of acidity on the finish. I have my eyes on another chillable red to nab for the last half of the month because I know this wine is going to fly. Get it while you can. Organically grown.