I think the keyword here is “concentrated”; the fruit quality is dense, but there’s a core of savouriness, olive tapenade, crushed rose petal, and soft and broad blue and purple, even plummy - but not jammy - fruits. The structure itself is elegant, with powdery, dusty tannins rather than jagged or harsh ones. Linear and fresh but, again, tightly compacted and focused without being closed per se. This obviously has tons of mileage and potential but is surprisingly open and generous now, with classic Northern Rhône character. Delicious.
Thanks for the note, Sean. I usually like my northern rhone after 5 years and this sounds like it would blossom nicely with a bit more time. Does LCBO import cellar releases or back vintages from time to time?
Normally I would have stashed this for awhile but I read some intriguing notes on CT and had a really nice dinner that was well-suited, so it seemed appropriate. If you’ve got multiples, it might be fun to pop one, but certainly no rush.
Definitely not! I picked this up at a restaurant doing a cellar sale - the only way to get it is to buy the current release from the importer.
I’m expecting a similar BD deal to last year (assorted mix of 2019s), so depending on what you want, it could be worth waiting! I just want Alturas, but I’m down to try a few others.
I opened the 2007 Gonon last night. I believe it was my last bottle, bought on release. It was good, not as awesome as I had hoped. Looking over my past tasting notes (my last bottle was five years ago), it was more compelling in the past. I should have opened it sooner or, frankly, sold it.