Commune Gamay Noir Monterey County 2023

ACME designed the Pulse wine club for local Napa wine industry folk as a gateway to learn of the happenings in the wine world outside our 30-mile stretch of valley. We think wine doesn't get much "pulsier" than a Carbonic-macerated Gamay Noir from Monterey County. The folks at Commune thoughtfully create wines with drinkability in forethought and reverence for the vineyard as their backbone. Captured in their unique wines is a sense of place that is wholly California and will have you closing your eyes to daydream of the sights, smells, and visceral experience of the vineyard.

Proprietor and Winemaker Tyler Stacy has worked every job regarding food and beverage possible, from busboy to sommelier to general manager. However, he never quite felt at home in restaurants and, in 2010, jumped ship in pursuit of cellar work. This search brought him to Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, where he worked the 2012, 2013, and 2014 harvests. Sadly, Tyler learned that cellar work was not financially stable and returned to the States. He snagged his current role selling wine in Sacramento and Wine Country with Grandes Places Sélections through long-time connections. He is always on the go, and his role with GPS grants him the pleasure of trying new vineyards and wines throughout California and beyond.

The Caraccioli family planted Escolle Vineyard in 2008 with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and a few years back, they added Gamay Noir. When Tyler tasted one of the first Gamays bottled from the property, he saw exceptional potential in the vineyard. Escolle Vineyard is tucked high into the Santa Lucia Highlands, and the tiny valley receives strong winds from the Pacific Ocean throughout the day, creating a very cool climate. This chilly climate braces the grape's acidity and, paired with the heavily granitic soils, makes for an ideal combination for growing grapes. While granite can be a taxing soil type to work with, it is also rewarding when the vines are thoughtfully managed. Due to its low water retention, growers must prevent weeds and cover crops from competing with the vines for the small amount of water available. While vineyard managers work to maintain the top soil layers, the vines strive deep down in search of nutrients. Diving deep into the bedrock creates aromatically layered, precise wines with tension and distinct minerality.

Gamay Noir is known for its floral aromatics and ripe red fruit characteristics in the nose and palate. Its light body and vibrant acidity make it a fantastic wine for food pairing. Commune split their harvest of Gamay into two lots for fermentation. The first underwent carbonic maceration over seven days to emphasize the fruit-forward tones, and the second was foot tread ahead of fermentation to extract more tannin from the skins to build structure. Tyler notes his love of the wine's "effortless red fruit quality…complimented by an intoxicating floral and herbal edge."