Tasting Note: Malivoire is a standard-bearer for Niagara gamay, now making six versions in its Gamay Showcase series. This struck me with its cooler clime ambiance from a vineyard atop the Niagara Escarpment in the Vinemount Ridge appellation. It captures pretty, genteel aromas of strawberry/cherry, subtle pepper and herbals. Very little wood, yet there is a nice cohesion to the aromatics. It really is a charmer, light to mid-weight (12% ABV) and quite fine texture. Fermentation in a large neutral wood vat, then further ageing in neutral barrels has lent a notably elegant and almost suave in texture. There is some tannin and a touch of minerality on the finish. Excellent length. Tasted February 2026.
Backgrounder Malivoire’s range of gamays demonstrates varying winemaking techniques, with only one — Le Coeur — being made with carbonic maceration, as is done in Beaujolais. This is a recent addition to the line-up. After picking and de-stemming on the sixth of October, the grapes underwent primary and 100% malolactic fermentation in an oak vat. It was pressed then aged for 6 months in older French oak barrels, bottling in May 2025.
