I recall one day early in my wine selling career when a fellow representing a wine distributor in Ohio came by my humble airport wine kiosk and told me that Willamette Valley wineries should pull out all their Pinot Noir and replant to Gamay. I told him that most Willamette Valley wineries were in the business of making money, so it was probably not going to happen any time soon, but to his credit, it is hard to argue that whenever we taste a Willamette Valley Gamay we fall just a little bit in love. Scott Frank has been making his wines in the Willamette Valley since 2010, and they’ve always been a little different. Scott looks to the fresh, workaday wines of the Loire Valley for inspiration, using traditional Loire grapes like Melon, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc that have quietly been planted in the Willamette Valley for generations. This 2021 edition Gamay is a perfect example of the right grape, in the right place, in the right hands. Willamette Valley clay is strong on the nose alongside black cherry, boysenberry, rose-scented ganache, sweetfern, and a dash of orange oil. The palate is classic Gamay, with delicately chewable tannins holding together an otherwise full and juicy textured wine bursting with ripe black cherries and clay-scented earth. Low in alcohol and high in flavor, this is a wine to enjoy soon, with a roast chicken, a bit of meat from Olympia Provisions and cheese from Cowbell, or your secret potato salad recipe. feb