2018 gonon rouge

Let’s start by saying I listened again to Levi daltons podcast today with Jean gonon. Gonon said give young gonon a 12 hours decant. At hour 4 in the decanter this is silly good. The acidity seemed to double on this fat sweet olive juice. The only other controversial thing I will say is this; I remember drinking pax’s 2016 Sonoma hillsides that got 100 from gallloni and really liked it. Anyway, this gonon at hour 5 spanks the Sonoma hillsides x10. No matter how you look at it. In summary, the first 3 hours really good, at 5 hours this is a truly great wine.

David

Great note. I am always afraid to decant any wine this long.

thanks for the note David, haven’t taken in any of my 18 gonon yet, i always give them plenty of air

what’s the fear? I usually give young n. Rhones a lot of air - especially the big boys. They definitely show much better with 8+ hours to me.

I’d say the styles between Pax & Gonon are so different as to defy comparison, but I appreciate it nonetheless!

I agree 100%. Normally I wouldn’t decant longer than an hour or two but driving this weekend the Jean gonon Levi dalton podcast is legendary and it really influenced me as 12 hour recommended decant by a legend is something.

But at the first three hours I’m questioning is it really worth the $100 as I drink it. Very Olivey and not much acid. The last hour even though it is one the bigger side for gonon it got redder, more acid, full blooded, and just a lovely drink. Glad you two appreciated.

Btw, one other thing I learned is gonon mixes multiple terrors just like Jamet. I see why.

Well Sean I know anything I write may change the discussion but the reason I brought this up is pax hillsides is using trollats label. I’m not against that all as the 2916 hillsides was great (my one bottle of 2017 was actually close to a thanksgiving nightmare). Regardless, the gonon after 5 hours spanked it like no ones business.

I cracked a mag of 2011 st. Joe a few weeks back and drank over 3 days. Pandemic makes us do strange things! It shined on day 2. Just a delightful wine, can’t be certain if btl format or age had any affect on the wine as my previous experience has always been the ‘entry’ level bottling. I have a couple more mags to experiment with, so we’ll see.

?

He was probably referring to the Les Iles Feray bottle being the “entry level” bottling.

Thanks for the note. I’ve been meaning to try Gonon’s wine for a while now. I’ll definitely listen to the podcast IDTT podcast as well.

Yes. And the entry point is now > $50. Has been really solid for many years but has now gotten pricey with all the rage for Gonon.

Yes, those were the days. But if i remember, even back then i was only able to get a bottle or two per vintage.
I really like the patrick jasmin la chevaliere as a substitute these days for my budget.

Very interesting, I’ll have to listen to the podcast. I’ve never had any Gonon wines but managed to get two 2017 SJs this year, one of which I’d like to drink soon, the other will go to the cellar. Has anyone had a '17 recently and would you suggest the same 12-hour decant?

A couple of updates.

  1. I never made it to 12 hour decant but I can tell you at hour 4 and 5 it was amazing the improvement

  2. I learned also from the podcast that the second wines Iles feray is grapes mostly from the flat ground that is not true saint joseph and not the higher end hillside wine gonon speaks about

  3. what really hit me in the podcast is gonon (just like jamet in cote rotie) are not single vineyard terroir specific wines. Gonon explains how the three different vineyard sources (the old trollat vineyard vines being one) he uses in combination with selection massage of different Syrah types is what gives his wine the its uniqueness.

Chave is also not single vineyard.

Glad to hear it is a good one. For the last 3 years I’ve told myself it’s time to give us on this fine producer because of price but in a weak moment I nab a couple. From 2009 to 2014 it was a 6 plus mag or case buy.

Chave has been bottling a single vineyard St. Joseph Clos Florentin since 2015. I haven’t tasted it yet but it will be interesting to compare to the blend.

At $125 (only one offer today in Wine Searcher, perhaps it will be lower when more widely released?) how interested are you in the 2017 Clos Florentin?

I don’t expect it to go lower now, but that’s not what I paid.