Digging around looking for something to drink on this casual weekend evening, and I realize that I have not yet tried one of the 2018 Gonon St Joes. So out she goes. I’m channeling my inner-Jeremy Holmes here.
I really do believe, having been following Gonon since the 2006 vintage, that these wines are improving year over year. I was not sure what I would think of this ripe 2018 year, where so many other favorite wines of mine have teetered on the edge of over-ripe, this Gonon pulls it off quite adroitly. Yea it is ripe and a bit lower acid than, say, 2016 and 2014, but it really is a thrilling drink. Black olives, iron and crushed wild black raspberries for days. Grilled meats, salted meats. Scaled along the lines of 2015, still primary and chewy, but it oozes with such flavor, so savory. Closes with a tangy, chewy finish and an intriguing blood orange citrus note.
I don’t think you need the so-called Rule of 15 on these babies, maybe 10 ideally, but they will run for some distance. I’m hiding these from myself.
(93+ pts.)
