TN: 2009 Gonon St. Joseph Syrah - Excellent Northern Rhone [Popped another 4.21.12]

So I’ve been sampling a few California syrahs lately. Lagier Meredith. Halcon. Bedrock. Etc. All very nice, especially the LM. Probably the best Cali syrah I have had. The 2007.

And then I pop a 2009 Gonon St. Joseph. Yea, too young. Yea, no reason other than it arrived today and suited my fancy. Plus, I was pissed at my dog for breaking into wet dog food and staining the master bedroom carpet. Wife comes back tomorrow from Vail and is gonna be pissed. House is a mess anyway. I need to get a bit numb tonight. Gonon is on the counter. Popped. Poured. I’m thirsty . . . .

Intensely dark. Gamey aromas. Bête sauvage. Just a nice touch of funky. Black fruits with some olive and pepper. I could sniff this nose all night.

Grilled meat, saline, iodine, iron and some rust. Black fruits, lots of black, some tanginess.

This is a powerful syrah. Large scale on the palate. Still wound up and needs some time to uncoil. Firm, gritty tannins. Crisp acidity.

Starting to develop some creaminess. I look forward to enjoying this wine all night.

This is my definition of textbook, phenomenal Northern Rhone syrah.

If ya got 'em, let 'em rest a bit, unless you are in the mood, like I am tonight, to wrestle with alligators.

(92+ pts.)

Damn it, Robert! I’ve tasted this a couple times and still resisted buying. Yes, it is wonderful juice and an amazing deal for the price. Now I have to restart my “I don’t need more syrah.” mantra.

It’s worth buying, Patrick! And it’s priced below many of the top-tier Cali syrahs that are touted on this Board.

You’re making me wish I’d bought more than three bottles.

+1 and you are destroying my will not to pop one of those 3

i’ve had this a number of times now and i’m a huge fan. the word i immediately think of with this is “exotic”. lots of sappy black fruit, but somehow doesn’t seem forward or modern. love it’s gaminess, and floral notes too.

just picked up a 6 pack of the 2010s!

Robert, thanks for the notes! Now, that Clape Cornas is so expensive, I bought 3 of these from K&L for $35 ea. hoping for a traditional approach to Syrah at a great value. Sounds mostly traditional in style but big like the vintage, no?

Bingo!

I’ll likely pick up some Clape, too, but the price point is becoming limiting so my quantity will be small.

I prefer Gonon to Clape anyway. Allemand on the other hand…

Just killed the remainder of the bottle - about 1/4 remained. I’d adjust my rating upward. This is a very serious wine. Will say, though, it destroyed my grilled salmon in a wrestling match. Pair this wine with hearty food.

So, for Northern Rhone fans, any recommendations on other kick butt syrahs for 2009?

From a tasting in October, here are five to look for. I’ve given both my original score and the revised score after retasting the leftovers on day 2 where I rerated them.

Graillot Crozes – Though this ranked poorly, the remains showed much better the next night. 84?/90++ $31
Dard & Ribo Crozes - Spicy; I guessed Cornas tasting this blindly. Just as good the next night. 91 $42
Chave “Mon Coeur” - Softer, lower acid than some others, but yummy. 92 $21
Dom. de Fauterie (S. Bernard) Cornas - Tannic, but very impressive the second day. 86?/92 $43
Texier - Brezemes- A bit more diffuse on day 1. The second day the structure emerged. 85/90 $22

I think it’s always a promising omen when a young Northern Rhone tastes better the day after.

After having popped a 2010 Bedrock syrah the night before, I was once again in the mood for a young, old world syrah. No time to hit my wine storage, so the only thing handy that fit the bill was the 2009 Gonon that I still have at home.

You could not find more contrast. Where the 2010 Bedrock remains remarkably primary, with very grapey dark fruits and sweet BBQ sauce, the 2009 Gonon is just a beautifully taut, earth-driven wine with nervous tension. Mineral-laden, crushed rocks. Wonderful tangy red fruits. Tannic, but not obtrusively so. Clearly needs time, but if you are in the mood for a youngster to wrestle, damn is this great stuff. As an aside, Lew started a recent thread on terroir. This wine is it.

So we immediately segued to a 2007 Beaucastel that my friend brought. Nearly undrinkable, especially in transition from the Gonon. Soft dark globular fruits. Spicey fruitcake. Heady alcohol. Pruney. A terrible disappointment from a winery I typically love. My friend’s wife set it aside. I sipped it as an after-dinner liquor. Are these 2007 CDPs getting worse?

Robert, check out JL Chave’s 2009 estate St Joseph. Stellar granite driven terroir, like the Gonon; a bit pricier due to both the Chave factor, as well as the ‘more sets of hands inbetween’ factor, but a fantastically complete wine…

Try Balthazar. Similar style. Great holdings in cornas. Reasonable prices (here in Switzerland…but you buy Gonon wines for a similar price to what I get it for here so I assume Balthazar for around 35 the bottle).

I agree with Dard & Ribo. Text book syrah.

Charvin turns out some nice CdR (and CdP). I have been loving 2009 CdR and it is certainly not pushing the over-ripe / alcoholic envelope.

Hope that helps.

Alfert… SHUT UP. MY VISA® CANT TAKE THIS.

That is all

While i’ve had some stellar 2009s from the Northern Rhone, I’m holding out for the 2010s. Should be a classic vintage.

LOL, love it! If I’m going down, i’m taking company with me! I ordered more today . . . .

And to Tooch, yea, I’m getting ready for the 2010s as well (Northern Rhone and Chinon). This is gonna hurt.

Yeah, but it’ll be a fun ride. 2010 Grezeaux tonight was absolutely beautiful.

BTW, make sure you own some of the 2010 Texier St. Joseph, and the Clape Cotes du Rhone. Great wines.

I’ll likely pick up some Clape

Robert, I’m pretty sure you picked up ‘the Clape’ sometime ago