Local waterhole sold me a bottle and I cracked it at their wine bar. Consumed half the bottle and left the other half for the late evening.
2017 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph- France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7/25/2019)
Can’t remember the last Gonon St Joseph that was this opulent and accessible on release. Huge dark red fruit screams out on the nose. Hints of flower and spice but it’s dominated by the absolute orchard load of fruit. When we put it to our nose for the first time all of us went “woah”. Just weren’t expecting the intensity and forwardness of the fruit aroma.
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The palate was similar. Really opulent and bold wide fruit. Similar in profile of the 2015 with that shimmering red fruit but doesn’t have the tannic structure of the 2015. It’s an absolute hurricane of spiced red fruit that continues deep into the finish. It straddles the line of ripeness without going overboard in the way only a great winemaker can do. Generous and so tasty right now, there’s an ease and elegance to it. If you have plenty don’t be afraid to try one.
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I haven’t read up on the 2017 N. Rhone vintage but based on all my sampling so far it seems like a very fruit generous ripe vintage that’s more easily accessible than 15/16. Seems akin to 2012.
Awesome tasting note and heads up on popping one early! Totally agree on 2015/16 needing time but show so much promise. Managed to find each of them reasonably priced on restaurant lists last year so was able to sample. I am going to seek out some more 2017s based on this review.
I used to be in the camp that Gonon’s St. Joseph should be in the $55 range. Even took me a while to come to that realization after having purchased all my Gonons SJ (2005-2012 vintages) at up to the low $30s. Over the last 6 months I pulled a couple from my stash and checked on a 2011 and 2012 and now I would say $85 would be the fair going price if I’m buying recent vintages. I still think $100+ is overboard.
Interesting to read your comparison of the 2017 to 2016. I thought the 2016 was wide open, fully accessible (excessibe?). In fact Northern Rhone wines from 2016 in my experience have been wide open, pretty much across the board.
We opened this tonight. The bottle must be off as it’s not all that pleasurable. I don’t detect an obvious flaw and thought maybe my taste was off. My wife wasn’t that crazy about it either. Tonight’s St Joseph is in contrast to two recent Les Iles Feray which were more like Charlie ‘s description (a third was mildly corked).
My thoughts are close to these, but I have not had the 2017. The 2011 has always shown well, one of the better young Gonons that I have had. I love it. The 2010 is the best of class but needs time. The 2013 is next in line there for me.
Drinking the 2017 Gonon Les Iles Feray while my St Joes are resting, though based on this showing, likely worth cracking one of those as well. Fu’s note could almost apply to this basic bottling of Gonon - funny to call it their basic hooch it’s so good - but I’d quibble that it’s a fusion of 2012/2011. Has the fruit-forwardness and approachability of the 2012, with some of the minerality of the 2011, with admittedly more weight. Has a Zotz candy buzz that is decidedly not secondary fermentation, but the energy of minerality. Amazing value, and funny enough, harder to get than the big boy St. Joe. Long gone are the days when I got a case of each from a favored retailer. Now i’m down to 6 and 4.
