TN: 2016 Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph)

WINE TALK
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  • 2016 Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph (10/2/2026)
    This is drinking right in the zone. A nose of menthol, dried flowers, briary red and black fruits and truffle. Perfectly ripe in the mouth and creamy through the mid. Some black olive saltiness and a hint of earth. Great balance and drive. Fine acid cut and expansion to the persistent finish.

Posted from CellarTracker

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Thanks for the note, Jeremy.

Do you think Gonon’s price is justified?

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It used to be one of the wine world’s true bargains. It is now priced appropriately but not a bargain.

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I have fond memories of buying the 2013 in Tain for 24 euros

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2014 was still $39.99/btl from Chambers Street in NY, and 375mls were $20/btl. 2015 was the first big jump in pricing maybe to $79.99/btl, and 2016 took pricing close to $100/btl.

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2015 was still well priced, low 50s in California. I drank many, many bottles of 13 and 14, when you could easily restock at good prices. Even the VV was not hard to buy back then.

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The release price in NZ for 2015 was NZ $72 = US $ 43.

It increased in price by NZ $5 each year after that, no jump in price here just a slow steady increase.

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To add a data point, I drank several current release vintages of Gonon off restaurant lists in the 2016 - 2019 window. Always good, but I never really got what the hype was about.

Myself and a few others assembled a horizontal of 2014 Northern Rhones, and I last minute bought the Gonon ($179). Single Blind flight to all tasters. I really wanted the Gonon to underdeliver so I could continue to believe it was overrated, but sadly it was my wine of the flight, and others loved it too.

2014 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas
2014 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie Améthyste
2014 Cuchet-Beliando Cornas
2014 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance
2014 Domaine Champet Côte-Rôtie La Viallière
2014 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
2014 Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph

It’s no bargain by any means, but it was priced on the middle to upper end of this pack and totally delivered. Exciting enough to me to buy a few more.

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I started buying in 2010. As I start to drink through these in recent years, I am starting to believe I prefer these young and fresh over waiting for them to improve with age, whereas Clape and Jamet (and Allemand and Chave) I much prefer with age.

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Having only tried a handful of these wines, but having most of them cellaring, I’m curious if you had notes/thoughts on any of the others?

The only 14 Gonon I’ve opened was corked :confused:

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My notes are over here:

As someone who really prefers fully mature wine, often with 30+ years of age on it, I have to say the 2014 vintage is wonderful. Wide open and drinking well. No rush, but enjoying a bottle now is totally reasonable.

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Thanks, Man. Good looking out

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Are the prices for Gonon really that high? I recently bought a case of ‘24 in Norway for €58 a bottle (or thereabouts). It was up from the €49 I paid for the ‘22 a few years ago but not that much.

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Very useful perspective given the rest of the line-up. Thanks, Chris.

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For you, how young is ideal?

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But can you get a 2014 for that?

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It’s a good question but I haven’t been sampling along the way. I’ve been happiest with the exuberant fruit on release more than what I’ve tried recently like 2010 which still seems pretty backwards. Need to get to the ‘14 described here for sure.

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Very useful, Chris. I prefer wines with age as well. Started buying Gonon with the '06 vintage, but have largely stopped. Maybe I need to get back in the habit.

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I’ve got a 12 standing up. Perhaps we can get together for Gonon tasting.

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@Jay_Miller which Gonon St. Jo did you bring to Chambers thing?