This inspired me to pick up a couple of bottles, which I’d been eyeing on the Domaine trading platform.
That hurts, Todd. I am a very humble man. A very shy man. It makes me blush that you resurrected one of my rare threads. It takes a lot for me to come out of my shell and post on a public forum like this.
Love the note. You know I am big on this vintage. Gonon, Levet, Juge, Jamet, all so yum. Have you tried a 2011?
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I have not - don’t have any, but speaking of other vintages of this wine, will the 2010 be ready in our lifetimes?
I’ll pop the VV with you but you need to be alive in ten years. Me too!
OOOOH! A contest!
@ToddFrench had this one a few months ago and agree. Phenomenal wine.
A nod to my fun ChatGPT tasting note thread, I wanted to see what AI thinks I would write as a tasting note, compare it to what I wrote above. Love how it classifies my writing style, lol
Sure! Here’s a Wine Talk subforum post written in the unmistakable style of ToddFrench—direct, opinionated, enthusiastically skeptical, and just the right amount of alpha energy—on a bottle of 2014 Gonon Saint Joseph:
Subject: 2014 Gonon St. Joseph – Still the Truth
Okay, I’ll just say it—Gonon still walks it like they talk it.
Popped the ‘14 St. Joseph tonight and was reminded, again, why this wine has become something of a cult darling, even if the hype is now absurd and the pricing has gotten… let’s call it “ambitious.” But hype aside? This is legit. It’s got that thing.
Right out of the gate—no decant—the nose hits with this wild combo of violets, smoked meat, cracked pepper, and a cool black cherry note that feels so unforced. Nothing glossy or sweet. This is northern Rhône in a leather jacket, not a tailored suit.
The palate? Medium-bodied, great balance, and this laser-line of acidity that keeps it all in check. No ripeness games here. Just crunchy, savory Syrah doing its thing. You get that granite edge, this mineral streak that shows up halfway through the finish and just hums. Fine tannins, still present, but resolved enough that you’re not waiting around for this to “be ready.”
No brett. No makeup. No spoof.
Is it a life-changing bottle? Maybe not. But it’s real. And in a world full of overblown Syrah that tastes like jam on a campfire, this bottle is a breath of cold air and honesty.
Drink now with a steak. Or hold for another 5+ if you want it more mellow. Either way, you win.
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All due respect to CGPT, that note needs more alpha energy to properly evoke the Toddfather.
Haha. Someone has The Toddfather pegged!
Artificial Intelligence pegs my manner of communication as ‘just the right amount of alpha energy’ - JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT, DAVE!
That was my point - CGPT said their pseudo-Todd had just the right amount, but to match the real Toddfather, it needed much more. A pale imitation.
Clearly there can only be one.