The overlooked Northern Rhone vintage, and yet like 2011, perhaps one of the more vibrant and energetic vintages of note in the hands of producers like Gonon. Love the 2011 Gonon as well.
The 2014s that I have popped have all been quite aromatic. This Gonon has that in spades. Such a wonderful melange of briny oysters shells, black olives, blood orange and other brambly fruits. Searing acids, vibrant, structured and ever so fresh and tangy. Throws a lot of minerals and river stones. Mostly red fruits on the palate and dark fruit skin. The overall presence is a tart edge but enough sweet fruit to keep the palate interesting. Love this wine for what it is, but Iâm guessing itâs best life is now to the next 5-7 years, then after that give the nod to the bigger, balanced vintages like 2010, 13 and 16.
You read my note, and then wrote it better. Iâll let that go this time, in the spirit of Christmas.
I actually wonder if a âweakâ vintage like 2014 will drink more interestingly down the road than a supposedly stronger vintage. Well, itâll be fun to find out!
Some may consider 2014 âweakâ (not saying you do), but they may find it interesting that JLL offers praise for Saint-Joseph wines in particular in 2014:
â2014 is a very good vintage for the granite-derived reds of SAINT-JOSEPH. The gradual ripening of the year allowed free expression of the cool qualities of SYRAH off the granite, so the pedigree of these west bank soils has filtered through into the wines. They are not grandiose, but carry a winning precision and fresh length in the best examples. Indeed, really good length is a mark of the vintage, a triumphant offer of flowing fruit, in the front runners.â
And on Gonon:
"JEAN GONON , from MAUVES in the southern sector, gave me this resumĂŠ of the year: âwe laughed, we cried this year. The spring was super, quite precocious, with the vines on the go by mid-March. May was fresh, dry and beau, while June was also dry. We had rain when we needed it on 3-4 July, then it rained constantly on and off until 17 August. We had some hail at the start of the fourth week of July. By mid-August there were outbreaks of rot, but luckily there was no rain from 17 August until 19 September. Those four weeks saved the situation, and dried the vineyards.â "
I had a bottle of '12 at a restaurant in Amsterdam a couple months ago and it was delicious. Only at the early part of its drinking window, it blossomed over a couple hours in a narrow decanter through the course of the meal.
If you have a bunch, itâs not the worst idea to check in on a bottle.
OMG this wine is soaring on day two. I left about 1/3 bottle in the fridge. The palate is now full-on savory. The acids are present but a bit more tamed from yesterday. This is a really complete, gorgeous wine.
Resurrecting an older thread on this wine rather than creating a new one, as I know Robert will appreciate more praise heaped upon him.
I decided to go for a âtreatâ day and open this bottle, since Gonon Saint Joseph is a very treasured wine to me, every bottle in the cellar has potential to be incredibly special. This wine delivered far more than my high expectations. Itâs incredible expressive and explosive - truly a turbo wine packed with fruit, grip, brightness, savory notes, cured meats, everything we love about Northern RhoneâŚbut just MORE! I marvel at a wine such as this, one that can serve as much as this one does while staying balanced. Itâs truly extraordinary.
Itâs the small things in life ⌠a quiet walk along the shore, a well-played Vivaldi cello concerto or a thrilling bottle of RhĂ´ne ⌠that lift the soul. At least for me âŚ
