Clos Roussely, Canaille, Touraine, Loire, France 2021

A burst of pumped-up cherries on opening, flowing on to a concentrated palate full of juicy blackberries and raspberries. There’s a noticeable sucrosity, which is swept up by crunchy, tart fruit and a brushing of tannin. An easy-to-drink, characterful Gamay, which has seen part carbonic maceration. Would be perfect to share with a friend over a midweek meal.

Typical spicy Gamay scents surround this attractive, easy-drinking wine which has some structure from well-handled tannins. There’s good length and delicate acidity given that this is from 2021, which is impressive. It is best drunk lightly chilled, especially in summer. It comes from 40-year-old vines planted on clay-limestone on the south side of the Cher Valley some 50km east of Tours. The grapes are hand picked and fermentation is a mix of carbonic maceration and classic fermentation. A crowd pleaser that’s ideally suited to informal meals, summer barbeques and picnics. The nine-hectare domaine based in Angé is run by the dynamic Vincent Roussely offering very good quality across the range.