Saw an offer on this today, 2016 is not a big blockbuster vintage like 2015 but some people say it is more classic, more terrior but at $80 that is a steep entry point, but again Euro is up and wine prices from this region ain’t exactly going down.
Not buying…but if the price keeps going up…I’d imagine others might start bowing out as it keeps climbing. It wasn’t long ago that this was a sub $40 bottle.
I concur. Faury VV can be found for 1/2 that price or less, and it’s no less a wine in my opinion. I chased Gonon from 2009 to 2012 when they were $40 to $45, and stopped when they pushed over $50. As Chris said, it’s a trendy producer that usually delivers good to very good wine. Buy if price is not object or you just gotta have some Gonon. Otherwise, Halcon Alturas Syrah (CA), which I’ve found to be comparable, can be found in the mid/high $30s.
Drinking the 2011 Gonon St. Joseph right now, from a case purchased and stored since release. A good and satisfying syrah, and very glad to note that it speaks nothing but all Northern Rhone, the good kind. Happy to have many more remaining. However, even if the 2016 is anything like this, there’s no way I’d pay $80 for it.
It’s been 5 years since a hyped vintage and Lots of people have jumped on board since then. It it’s really only a few of the top wines thAt have escalated out of control it seems. Still lots of great stuff for $25-75.
I won’t be a buyer at $80 but I’d probably bite in the mid 60’s.
I think that’s right about the hype, since there hadn’t been a lot of excitement for any vintage since 2010.
Also, the euro is at $1.23 now, up from $1.05 at the beginning of last year, so that’s part of it.
Hermitage was devastated by hail in '16, which reduced the crop by 50%, but I haven’t heard of any significant hail in St. Joseph or other appellations.
just first to US market pricing, just like the 15 Allemand thread that was started. This isn’t real release pricing. Just a store trying to capitalize.
Don’t know about that, the 14’ was $70 in seattle and the 15’ was $80, I know the 15’ hype machine but the 14’ was still $70… I laughed as the allocations went from cases to bottles.
Charlie, I am pretty sure that this 2016 Gonon is not from the official importer (not really sure who the official importer is), but it is from a very large Bay Area retailer. With that said, I just visited a shop in SF that does get it from the official retailer, a shop that I have been buying from since the 2006 vintage, they even had Gonon tastings at the store with the VV!! Anyway, just recently went to this store and asked them about the who 2015 Gonon kerfuffle, to make a long story short, the whole thing resulted in the wines being imported late in the year. With that said, I asked for the 2015 price for the St. Joseph - $98
Of course this store might have marked this up to take advantage of the hype, but I just back-filled 2014 and 2013 Gonon from the same store last year at around $45 - $49. I never really saw shelf prices for 2015 Gonon St. Joseph for the prices I saw from 2014 and below, not in any store. This sort of raises the concern on what the prices are for Gonon moving forward. I guess only time will tell.
hit the nail on the head. Release pricing for 15 gonon was around 50-59 from where I purchased in CA. Regretfully didn’t ask for more than I did. The acclaim of the wine is certainly hyping up the price.
I know this post is about K&L’s pricing, saw it earlier in the day when it went up (someone on the board texted me). K&L’s pricing on new release stuff has been getting worse and worse over the years.
I think it’s pretty telling that the inventory count hasn’t really moved on it.