I have long wondered why I have never been able to taste a Gamay from New Zealand.
Some New Zealand Pinot Noirs seem to me to be like a really good Beaujolais ought to taste – but hardly ever do!
So, by extension I have often thought that Gamay itself might well produce some worthwhile results down in New Zealand.
This belief somehow survived my trip to Beaujolais last year when I tasted some truly awful Gamays – bad enough to almost put me off the grape altogether – as well as enough lovely examples to help me keep the faith!
So, when I saw a New Zealand Gamay for sale today in Waitrose I just couldn’t resist buying it!
Te Mata Estate Gamy Noir 2008
Woodthorpe Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Quite pale, purple-red colour with fresh aromas of squidgy red and black fruit with little flashes of cracked black pepper.
The palate is soft and smooth with almost no apparent tannins. It is attractively gluggable and juicy, but very, very simple with some brambley/blackberry fruit and a shortish finish that almost makes no impression on the senses.
All in all I am so disappointed by this wine, almost deflated really.
It doesn’t begin to offer value for money at £10.99
Quentin Sadler's Wine Page 
Quentin,
I tried this at cellar door a couple of months back, and agree with everything you say about it. It could have been so good, but isn’t. Granted 08 wasn’t a great Hawkes Bay vintage.
See if you can hunt out the Sorrenberg Gamay from Beechworth. A real eye-opener, and one I would love to serve to a bunch of Beaujolais producers.
Hi, I would love to review that wine, although I understand that it has some Pinot Noir in it as well, can anyone tell me if I can find it in the UK?