Drank sufficiently well for a young wine, especially with some hearty meat-based winter foods. Some wood and primary traits still abound, but the bouquet on this is uber expressive.
Two days later, after re-corking ¼ of wine into the refrigerator, transformed into a more classic, medium-bodied and elegant regional syrah. Nicely complex, with well-handled fruit component and lessened tannin. Based on this sample, am a little more convinced that an aged Gonon syrah can approach the same high level as those by the current masters of traditional Northern Rhône. A-
TN: 2011 Domaine Pierre Gonon St. Joseph
(drank about 1 month after the 2012 Gonon)
Haven’t had one since purchasing at release (NY-USA) and decided to pull a bottle from the remaining 11. The bouquet was a quite subdued but still forced/coaxed the bacon, earth and some flower notes. The palate veered to the elegant and medium-bodied side of the spectrum, with some complexities showing dark berries, ground pepper, and other savory taste. A good effort. Relative to 2012, just a tad thinner and leaner, and would have loved a bit more intensity. B+
Haven’t touched any of my 12s, this is very useful. I didn’t have as much experience with older Gonon, but drinking an 86 in the cellar (along with a 98 Blanc) confirmed for me that they have known what they are doing for quite a while.
The 2012 I just had, last sampled during Gonon’s in-store tasting 3 years ago at the local merchant, and especially after the 2-days of re-corking, simply provided some glimpses of mid-to-late 90’s Jamet/Clape/Allemand that I had over the last several years. It’s not quite to the same level (yet?) as those, but I’ll go out on a limb to add that the Gonon would be better than the mostly good mid-to-late 90’s Saint-Joseph I had from Chave, Faurie, Jaboulet and I’d include Graillot’s Crozes.
I don’t have a definitive view on the aging curve, given limited samples of old vintages. However, a recent 2005 that I drank last year and another 3 years ago, I thought, needed more cellar years with the tannin and the high stemmy flavors still at the forefront. I’m looking to hold on and cellar my remaining 2005, as it’s currently my oldest Gonon in the cellar.
Although, back in 2013 we had quite a comprehensive Gononathon with local Gonon-heads and both the 1990 and 1989 Les Oliviers Rouge that were generously added to our flights were simply stunning examples, with attendees quite split between which one would contend for their top wines of the night. I remember then that the 1990, which was quite muted at first pour and dramatically opened up with air time, could still have many more years of great drinking ahead of it.
The color in the photo was very true to real life, as I recall. I don’t drink much Gonon, as I scrimp on my meager stash just so I can part with them when they shoot up in Juge pricing territory (I doubt it), but having participated in a couple of Gonon-a-thons here in NYC with vintages going back to 1989, I’ve always remembered the wines to have less than intense color.
Plus, the background of the photo is my window on a late afternoon daylight and it accentuated the lightish color.
Sweet very fine tannin, plush and silky texture. Ripe blue/black fruit, broth action, black pepper from start to finish, stem, olives. Tasty acidity hits from the middle and lingers on through the long finish.
Luka Doncic filling the stats.
Good to go now, as you patiently hold off on your 2010 and 2012.