It’s still alive and kicking! Pretty tertiary at this stage, wilted flower petals and hay waft from the glass, along with sweet spices and some vestigial red/blue fruit. The palate is like silk, with tannins fully resolved. If this was ever a peppery monster, those days are long gone yet it still has plenty to offer. It has a satisfyingly full mid-palate and finishes long and slightly vegetal (hay) but in an appealing way. I’ve tasted quite a few northern and southern Rhônes of this era recently and this numbers amongst the most enjoyable: classically balanced and charming.
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Very cool. Rare to see 20+ yr gonon notes nowadays after those library releases about a decade ago.
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Great score! Love it when an under-the-radar vintage still delivers. How long had you been holding onto that?
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Thanks! Frankly I had limited hopes for it after a recent ‘98 that showed rather on the dead side. A nice surprise. This bottle had been sitting in my parents’ storage essentially since release, the last bottle of a case drunk mostly in 2003.
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Actually 1999 is a celebrated vintage in the Northern Rhone, and while Saint-Joseph is not known for longevity the way Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, and Hermitage are, I’d expect Gonon to hang on well. I would have loved to try it.
The only other 1999 Saint-Josephs of note that I have had are Jean-Claude Marsanne tasted 5 years ago (fully resolved but excellent), and Domaine de Gachon, last tried in 2013 (just awesome).
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Oh that’s a pity on the '98, I would have expected that to show greater longevity over the '99. But then this is why purely focusing on the top vintages doesn’t always deliver a clear picture of a producer’s expression. I think the chance to try other vintages (aside from those universally declared as outstanding) is half the fun of this game.
100%
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Revisiting a prior discussion on the vitality of this AOC
I think quite a few of us are interested in this note, in fact, I feel like I had no idea Gonon made any wine before 2010 lol
Looked back at my images…
At a NR tasting in May 2020 I tasted both a 1997 and 2000 Gonon. Both were decent, but felt like they were on a decline already. I know it is not exactly good vintages, but we also had Jamet and Clape at similar age and they were drinking much better (Jamet was also a 1997).
I don’t own a lot of Gonon, but personally I will aim at drinking them at age 10-20, depending on vintage.
I’m surprised at the surprise a 1999 St Joseph would be doing well. It’s Syrah, and high quality Syrah at that. The idea that there is something unique about the “more heralded” wines of Cornas, Cote Rotie, and Hermitage, relative to St Joseph (or even Crozes) is confusing to me.
Can’t remember if I’ve had pre-2000 Chave St Joseph recently, but I know I’ve had 2001, 2004, and 2005 not that long ago, and those were all plenty youthful. I would expect wines of the quality and stature of Chave, Gonon, and others to stand along with the more heralded wines just fine.
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Alan - I think St Joe (and C-H) are more muddled, even ‘blurry’, AOC than the No. Rhone villages you mention - Cornas, Cote Rotie, Hermitage - as to what is typical. So it’s hard to know what the consumer is getting when they open St Joe or Crozes. Plantings have expanded a lot, and perhaps some those are where it makes the most economic sense, rather than vinous sense.
Still pretty cool that the Gonon is rounding the quarter century mark in full stride!
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