Henri Chauvet Vie Ordinaire (Gamay/Pinot Noir) 2024

Mostly Gamay with a splash of Pinot Noir, it comes from the volcanic hillsides around Boudes in the Auvergne.
It’s wonderfully fragrant, kicking off with raspberry, wild strawberry, dried rose and iris, with a little white pepper and wild-herb character tucked underneath.  The palate is light on its feet, juicy and beautifully fluid, with fresh acidity doing all the heavy lifting.  Fine tannins give it just enough shape without getting in the way of all that bright red fruit.  There’s a lovely earthy, smoky edge from the basalt-rich soils, adding another layer without making things remotely heavy.  A saline, floral finish keeps stretching out long after the fruit has disappeared.

Pure, energetic and ridiculously charming- the sort of red that disappears from the bottle faster than expected. Certainly nothing ordinary about this wine.