Explore Oregon Wines: Wineries | Varietals | AVAs | Cellar 503 Selections
Tripod Project 2014 Triple Fist Gamay Noir
Three winemakers. One grape.
To be honest, it's a crazy idea. Working with exactly the same fruit, each of three winemakers makes the best wine they can. And then, they blend them together. The possibility of failure is huge. And yet, somehow, it works. And it's so good.
The Tripod Project is the brainchild of winemakers Barnaby Tuttle (of Teutonic Wine Company), Tom Monroe (of Division Winemaking), and Jesse Skiles (of Fausse Piste).
Barnaby and Olga Tuttle specialize in producing German-style wines with Oregon grapes. As Barnaby points out, wine is best with food - so his approach is to ensure that his foodÂfriendly wines are lower in alcohol, higher in acidity, and barreled in neutral oak.
Tom Monroe and Kate Norris are renowned for the 2012 Gamay Noir that the New York Times called the single best red wine to pair with Thanksgiving. Division's wines reflect the best of their Oregon roots and their French training.
Born and raised in what he calls "the bounty of the wilds of the Pacific Northwest," Jesse Skiles is a chef-turned-winemaker whose wines are driven by locale, climate and cuisine, and whose winemaking philosophy is rooted in the traditional methods of the Rhone Valley.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Tripod Project, Portland, Oregon
2014 Triple Fist Gamay Noir
How does it work? Each year, Barnaby, Tom, and Jesse pick a grape varietal they'd like to experiment with, find a source for the grapes, then split it up three ways so that each winemaker can vinify it as they see fit. Three different expressions of the same grape, same vintage, same site. Then they blend it back together to create this extraordinary small production-run wine.
We've featured several Gamay Noir wines here at Cellar 503 - and they are always a hit. Light-bodied wine but a little heavier and richer than Pinot Noir, this wine is a great addition to your Thanksgiving table.
This 2014 Gamay is a little bit darker wine with deep red fruits, hints of chocolate, and a little earthiness. It's got a kick of acidity that will complement those rich foods at your holiday table. Complex and interesting, it is nonetheless still easily drinkable. This will satisfy both the wine snob and the wine newcomer at your holiday table.
A Cellar 503 selection in November 2016, A Friendsgiving Thanksgiving Willamette Valley | Gamay Noir
