Tim Fulnecky, of the Paso Robles winery Mr. Brightside, is following his heart and making unusual wines. First, he exclusively uses Gamay Noir grapes grown in Monterey County's Arroyo Seco AVA. Second, they aren't all red wines.
I picked up the 2023 Mr. Brightside Gamay Noir, Blanc at Joan's on Third in Los Angeles. I knew nothing of the winery, but I bought it specifically because it was different. A white wine made from Gamay grapes? I had to find out what this even was. Or, as the kids say today, what even this was.
Here is what Fulnecky says on his website about making Gamay Noir, Blanc: "I practice minimal intervention winemaking with all of the wines I make. These grapes were harvested and brought directly to the winery to be pressed onto dry ice. After settling the juice, it was gravity racked to a stainless steel tank to ferment. It was a slow and naturally cool fermentation that lasted for 19 days. After fermentation it was immediately racked to stainless steel drums and sulfured to inhibit malolactic fermentation. It aged in stainless steel for 6 months before being bottled."
Just his description of the winemaking process tells us that we are in for something that's off the beaten path. And that's where I like to live.
Previous vintages had alcohol just over 13% abv, but the 2023 vintage is marked at 12% abv. The wine cost $28.
This wine has a yellow-gold color in the glass. The nose shows earthy notes of apricot and peach, with some Bosc pear appearing. On the palate, that fruit is dressed in salinity and abetted by a healthy zing of tangy acidity. It reminds me a bit of Trebbiano or Garganega wines, but with more character.
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