TN: 2013 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph)

Went to my parent’s place for dinner and I’ve had my eye on this 2013 Gonon St-Jo for some time now. Couldn’t help myself to see how this was doing.

  • 2013 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (27.6.2020)
    Wine was decanted 6 hours before drinking, because these tend to be closed when under 10 years of age and it really needs some air to open up. Deep red color. Exploding nose of black peppercorns, blackberry, smoked meat and hint of violets. It isn’t as heavy on the palate as one would assume from the color and the nose. It has lovely fresh dark berried tone with meatiness. It has amazing structure and balance promising a long life. Even a little amount of wine feels a lot on the mouth and it is just an intriguing wine. Real pleasure to able to see how this wine is performing now and what to do with the rest of the bottles I have in my cellar. I think I’ll wait 5 years until next one. Drink now - 2030

Posted from CellarTracker

Great note. My favorite vintage of the decade for Gonon

Over the 2010?

Hmm good question, never had them side by side. But yeah, I think so, just love the zip and all the savory on the 13. Not as “big” a vintage, but in many ways more interesting.

They are both excellent, I just give a slight edge to 2010. The sneaky one is 2016, so delish. Hard to think of a vintage of Gonon that isn’t really strong. I have 2010 and 2013 both in dark storage compared to other more recent vintages.

My thoughts exactly! When I visited the domaine 2012 and got to taste 2009 and 2010 side by side I really liked the 2009 but the 2010 was just like 2009 but few notches more of everything.

This was actually my first encounter with 2013 and must say I was loving it. Really happy that I still have some bottles in my cellar waiting for better times. I’m actually also really looking forward to taste 2014 in few years time and see weather it’s going to be lighter and more burguandian style than most of the vintages. At least it was quite light on the release…

Here’s a note on the 2014 I wrote in 2018. Ana amazing wine, considering the difficulties of the vintage.

2014 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (3/17/2018)
This note is from the second day, having drunk half the bottle from a restaurant wine list yesterday. Opaque dark garnet, with a violet tinge. The nose is reticent, dark crush berries, with hints of dried herbs and green peppercorns; this is really a thinking man’s wine, one that needs contemplation and patience. Lean and sinewy, but with plenty of reserved intensity, there is a good dose of dark, brooding fruit, more blackberry, with a bit of boysenberry, amazing little twists of complexity float along on top of that base, with notes of herbs and anise; strong but well balanced acidity brightens the wine, and gives it plenty of verve, then some medium fine tannins punch through along with a little kick of sweet fruit on the finish. In any lineup of bigger, warmer wines, this would be swamped, but on its own the brilliance and subtlety shine through. A tremendous wine in a very difficult vintage. (94 pts.)

Great note! I feel that sums up the wine really well. What I love about Gonon Bros is that even with a difficult vintage as 2014 was they managed to make really great wine. Last year I got to taste their 2019 barrel sample and I was amazed how fresh it was and that was a hot year! They are doing something right in the vineyards.

Not meaning to derail the OP by concentrating on a different vintage, but I truly appreciate this note as well. Great producers produce great wines in challenging vintages, and this looks to be no different

If you guys get a chance, the 2014 Juge is magnificent. Best 2014 Rhône that I have had.

Know where we can get a line of credit or a second mortgage to finance a bottle or two purchase? [berserker.gif]

Just be an attorney - bill a couple hours

Todd has friends!

Thanks for the note! Such a shame how expensive these got lately.

Thoughts on the 17?

Crush just offered the 16… for 139, ugh.

Confirmed. Best Rhone in 2014. One of the best wines Marcel Juge made imo

Todd. I open next time we hang

Juicier wine than 15/16. Wine is plush without the hard tannic edges of the 15 and structure acid of 16. Enjoyable now. But it is a distant third to the incredible 15/16.

Sick! Need a reason to open the '94 Rayas Fonsalette, too

Dude, save it for our next meet-up, I’ll bring a real Rayas!

Fu, cool to hear you say that about the Juge. I’ve had three bottles of the 2014, each more open than the prior, and the last one blew me away. I concur with your hierarchical comment.

Back to Gonon, amazing the run that this winery has had. This is the one true gem of a wine that I only learned about through the wine boards. I cannot recall if it was here or on Parker. So been buying it since the 2006 vintage, and Gonon just keeps building into more strength. One of the best wine values in the market, and a killer on pure consistency. The after-market pricing demonstrates that aptly. Toss up what I have more of, Gonon, Baudry, Levet or Sociando.

I fully agree with you! And especially for you in States it is even worse. I’ve been able buy these from Europe about 50€/bottle. Long gone are those days when I bought my first Gonon under 20€ and even when I visited them 2012 I was able to buy few 2010s for 20€ a piece.