Drink.  Learn.  Laugh.  Repeat.

Welcome Back!Sign in here:

Not Registered?Become one of our thirsty clan 326,595 strong:

Register Today!

Château des Charmes St. David's Bench Vineyard Gamay Noir Droit 2015 Wine Review

Château des Charmes St. David's Bench Vineyard Gamay Noir Droit 2015

Château des Charmes St. David's Bench Vineyard Gamay Noir Droit 2015

St. David's Bench, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada

Community Score:89/100

Community Reviews: 7

  Add My Review


Price: $17.95

Drink: 2017-2020

Bottle size: 750 ml

Alcohol: 13%

Sweetness: Dry

Wine Type: Red Wine


Winery: Château des Charmes

Agent: Chateau des Charmes

Natalie's Score: 89/100

The vines for this wine are planted on the side of ancient limestone slopes of the St. David's Bench Vineyard in glacial soils located furthest from the cooling temperatures of Lake Ontario and therefore benefiting from warmer temperatures and longer ripening. This clone of Gamay (Droit) is unique to this winery and is unoaked. A juicy Niagara red wine with lots of mouth-watering acidity on the palate of this made from the Gamay Noir Droit grape. Peppered raspberry with a full-bodied, supple texture and weight. Good price for this quality. Here's an amazing BBQ wine for you for all sorts of meats and event he Portobello mushrooms.

Gamay Noir Droit food pairings: prime rib, beef brisket, gourmet burgers.

Best Beef Wine

This Château des Charmes St. David's Bench Vineyard Gamay Noir Droit 2015 was reviewed on April 25, 2017 by Natalie MacLean

More Vintages: 2019  2017  2016  2014  2010 

  Add New Vintage

Pricing & Stock Information

Reviews and Ratings

Rachelle O'Connor rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

Lovely warm spice and raspberry on the nose. The palate has beautiful intertwined layers of pepper, smokiness, and cherry. This Gamay Noir "Droit" - Canada's first vinifera wine was born right in the vineyard of Paul Bosc Sr. of Chateau Des Charmes. The wine is completely unoaked, so all that you taste in the glass is the flavors of the Gamay "Droit"!
Jennifer Havers - WSET Level 3 rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Always a favourite, and something I look forward to trying each year. This unique clone of Gamay Noir is exclusive to Chateau des Charmes. The wine is showing bright clean red fruit and berry notes along with subtle peppery spice. Lots of cherry and pepper carry through on the palate, with bright and balanced acidity. Medium bodied, but bold enough to pair with anything you might throw on the grill, from steaks to burgers to portobello mushrooms.
Matt Steeves - Certified Sommelier rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Award winning winery, and Canadian winemaking pioneers, Chateau des Charmes, have created a truly unique, one-of-a-kind expression of Gamay Noir, in fact it's formally known as Gamay Noir 'Droit'. Sourced from the Niagara region's warmest and one of the most prestigious sub-appellations, St. David's Bench, this otherwise typically lighter style of red wine is big, bold, and robust. Deep ruby color with a slight purple hue, the nose shows dark cherry, raspberry, spice, pepper, and gamey notes. Terrific acidity makes this a wine destined for the table to be enjoyed with bold flavoured foods, from BBQ brisket, burgers, or ribs, to smoky Blue Cheese, such as Emmi Roth Moody Blue or Blue Haze - two of my favourites and both pair exceptionally well with this expressive wine. At $17.95 this wine offers great value, especially for a wine that sets the benchmark. Enjoy 2017-2020. Tasted March 2017. 90 points. Matt Steeves - www.quercusvino.ca
Melanie Aubert rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Medium ruby red tinged with bkue. Delicious strawberry jam notes on the nose. Crazy mouthwatering acidity followed by slightly drying tannins. Tastes of black cherry, vanilla and smoke. This is a clone of gamay ("gamay noir droit") that was developed by Château des Charmes and is unique to St. David's Bench. Chill slightly and pair with sausages, hamburgers and other bbq fare.
Olivier de Maisonneuve rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Without a doubt a Nouveau-Monde wine,with a plump rasberry nose and a very fruity mouth. Great acidity makes it quite quaffable. Nice length.
Lots of acidity and a tannic grip on the palate of this Niagara red wine made from the Gamay Noir Droit grape. Peppered raspberry with a full-bodied, juicy texture and weight. Good price for this quality. Here's an amazing BBQ wine for you for all sorts of meats and even stuffed Portobello mushrooms. Gamay Noir Droit is vitis vinifera grape variety made in Canada, eh! And, is from Ontario's St. David's Bench. Originally, Gamay Noir Droit came about from the Château des Charmes winery, owned by the Bosc family. It was Paul Bosc, owner and operator of this winery who originally established the Vitis Vinifera in Canada in 1978. He was awarded the Order of Canada and was the first winemaker to receive the award. Wines from Gamay Noir Droit varietal are typically dark cherry, smoky and spicy in nature. - Community Wine Reviews

If you liked the Château des Charmes St. David's Bench Vineyard Gamay Noir Droit 2015, you might also like these wines:

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO

PAIR WINE
& FOOD?

Join me in a free online video class to learn the secrets to perfect pairings.

Wine of the Week

As featured on  

CTV Wine of the Week!

Wander + Found Sparkling Wine
Sparkling Cuveé Blanc Can

Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean offers North America's most popular online wine and food pairing classes. She was named the World's Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia.

Natalie has published two books with Random House, both selected as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year.

Join 326,595 thirsty wine lovers who get access to all of her wine reviews by becoming a member of her site. Take a free online pairing class with her here.

FEEL LOST IN THE

LCBO?

Know the wines you want before you even get to the store with my wine reviews. Join now. It's free.

Red, White & Drunk All Over

  Best Books of the Year

Red, White & Drunk all over by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean writes about wine with a sensuous obsession... and often laugh-out-loud funny... Terrific.

Rex Pickett, Sideways

Ms. MacLean is the disarming Everywoman. She loves wine, loves drinking ... ultimately, it's a winning formula.

Eric Asimov, The New York Times

GOT A SMARTPHONE?

Access my reviews on mobile with the bar code scanner.

GET NAT'S APP

Unquenchable: A Tipsy Search

  Best Books of the Year

Unquenchable by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean is a new force in the wine writing world ‐ a feisty North American answer to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. She can write beautifully about wine.

The Financial Times of London

There are very few people in the wine world who "get it" and Natalie is one of those who brings more fun to a buttoned-up and stodgy game.

Gary Vaynerchuck, Wine Library TV

Starting a Wine Cellar?

Expert advice for all budgets

Insider tips on starting a wine cellar
From wine racks to underground caves, insider tips on size and space, number of bottles, ideal conditions and reputable resources.   learn more  

337,614

WINE
REVIEWS

326,595

ACTIVE
MEMBERS
Winner World's Best Drink Writer
WFour-Time Winner James Beard Foundation
Five-Time Winner Association of Food Journalists
Six-Time Winner Bert Greene Award
Best Wine Literature Book Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Online Writer of the Year Louis Roederer International Wine Writing Award