2025 Foreign Friends Anna Gamay

A cracking little modern Aussie red here from the talented trio at Foreign Friends in Beechworth. For 'Anna', they’ve headed to the Yarra Valley to find the right parcel of Gamay, a variety that's playing an increasingly important part if Victorian viticulture.

The winemaking here is very deliberate and keeps the primary fruit flavours at the forefront. They used about 25% whole bunches during a two-week ferment on skins to add a bit of structure and spice, before the wine was tucked away in large, neutral oak over winter and spring. The use of larger format wood works wonders with this variety, retaining all of its purity and just adding that lick of texture, without weight.

It’s a ripe and sweet-fruited expression of the variety, led by raspberry, cherry, and plum. There’s some nice complexity too, with floral and herbal hints, but really it's just a delicious easy-going light red that wouldn't mind a chill.