Domenica Gamay 2024

Domenica Gamay 2024

Planted in 1996, the 4 hectare Domenica Estate vineyard, was originally part of a joint venture between Rick Kinzbrunner of Giaconda and Rhone Valley titans M. Chapoutier, making wines under the Ergo Sum labelling.

The initial plantings consisted of Chardonnay, Roussanne and Pinot Noir, with ensuing years and expansion of the joint venture leading to increased plantings of Shiraz and Nebbiolo. During this time Peter Graham, Rick's nephew, was cutting his teeth as the assistant winemaker at Giaconda, learning the wise ways of making complex, enthralling wines from the ancient granite soils of the cult producer.

In 2012 Peter made the big shift to take sole ownership of the 450-470m above sea level estate, buying it from Kinzbrunner and Chapoutier, managing and farming the property himself and tapping into all of that experience he had learnt from his previous 15 years of work within Beechworth.

Using these years of intimate knowledge, Peter has expanded the earlier plantings of Chardonnay and Nebbiolo, as well as introductin Gamay in 2022 and Chenin in 2024.

This section of the Estate vineyard was planted in 2006 and grafted to Gamay in 2020. Five different clones in this vineyard; planted on south-east facing rows planted south-east facing on granite soils, at 450m elevation. Vineyard practices are organic with minimal irrigation.

'Raspberry, black cherry, hazelnut, a bit spicy and autumnal too, mint and dried flowers, but you know what, it most certainly speaks to the grape variety, and also has a cool steel-like inflection, which is very nice. It’s medium-bodied, succulent, red and black fruited, a bit earthy and nutty, balanced acidity, with a fine sooty tannin finish of excellent length offering some almond paste richness. Yum. So good.' 94 Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front