I have been drinking thru my 97 and 98 Bernard Faurie VV the past few yrs and they have been superb. Still have a few left.
Did anyone really say that 1959s would need quick consumption? That would surprise me.
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Arv R wrote:Some long time followers of Bordeaux say the 1959’s – another extremely hot year – kept very well for a long time despite the early beliefs they would need quick consumption like a typical flabby hot year (maybe 1976?)
Did anyone really say that 1959s would need quick consumption? That would surprise me.[quote]
If I remember the discussion of the 1982’s when they came out, many people were comparing them with the 1959’s. Apparently many said 1959 would not age, but were proven wrong in the long term. Those defending the 1982’s used that as part of their argument that 1982 would age.
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Ask me in 10 years, as mostly, I drink them up within 15 years of the vintage. I see no reason why the better endowed ones (structurally-speaking) cannot go 20-25 years, but so many are so good, so early why not drink them now? The shut down period for many of these is almost nonexistent, more like a burp than a truly closed-down period.
St. Joseph used to be a small appellation, covering less than hundred hectares in the villages of Mauves, Tournon, St.-Jean-de-Muzols. The grapes came from steep vineyards and made an ageworthy wine of 100% syrah that could match the best from the other side. Then someone got the idea of expanding the appellation zone. Including up to 3000 hectares of flatland to this once a famous wine. Then name got ruined and this post reminds me it still is. Look for wines from the original appellation and they will have no problem lasting 20 years. For example wines like Delas Saint-Epine, Gonon and Gripas Berceau among others.
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Why would this particular appelation not be worth cellaring to its front end drinking window? Beaujolais can age 40+ years etc
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I would suppose that some of the more structures St Joseph can and do age well past the 20-year mark, but the ones I like normally hit the sweet spot for me sooner than that (5-12 ballpark range), so no one ever survives to tell the tale 
I am from St Joe and i have aged for more than two decades (although I guess it is a matter for debate whether I’ve aged successfully).
Heh!
The 2010 Delas ‘Francois de Tournon’ [St Joseph] is doing very well at age 12 and may be still excellent when it hits the double decade marker, but for my tastes, it has lost a step after 24 hours of being opened. 13% abv, bright ruby color, medium bodied. On the nose I find white pepper, olives, graphite. Compared to other NoRho syrah, this 2010 smells/tastes clean, rich, flavorful. Mrs AKR drinks very little, and on those rare occasions it is typically a single glass of CNDP, Pomerol, or bone dry Champers a month; funky/animalistic syrah is pretty much a ‘NFW’. So it was a pleasant surprise when she not only enjoyed a glass of this, but even a second. But that’s testament to the overall cleanliness of this. On the palate I find it to have resolved tannin, low acidity, and fruit that leans red/strawberry/raspberry. I notice fine sediment at this point. There is deep flavor density and I am impressed with this. This 2010 was a backfill from Benchmark, having bought on release in 2012 and 2015. Tech sheet advises this is a 2000 case multi vineyard blend, 100% syrah, hand picked, with oak elevage in 1-3 year old barrels.
In my ledger, I give this an A-.
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Had a 1983 Grippat St Joseph ‘Vignes de L’Hospice’ a month ago that was delicious and in no way over the hill
The 1989 and 1990 Gonon Saint Joseph ‘Les Oliviers’ held up well when we drank them here:
I opened a 1995 Chave St. Joe recently that was one of the best N Rhones I’ve ever had.
Had some late 90’s Gonon that was drinking fine. But have prefered the younger bottles i had.
I could easily see some of the St Joe being made today being capable of aging 20 years no problem. Faury, Gonon, Chave all make good examples that would. my last few experiences with Gonon I think I kind of found myself wishing they had been at least 20 years old
I’d add Perret Les Grisières. I think that this flies under the radar because Perret is mostly a Condrieu producer but this wine blossoms with time and can be quite blocky when young.
Bernard Faurie still has a chunk of 2009 SJ in his cellar that sat in barrique for a very, very extended élevage. Last I heard he was arguing with the AOC about the appellation.
Agreed. I popped a 2010 Gonon last month, it’s a bruiser, I will not open another one for at least five years and can easily see this wine going 25 or so and getting better with time. I have had the 2006 and 2007 Gonon VV with 13-14 years on them, and if I had any left, would not touch for 20. They were great, but barely (if that) starting their drinking window.
Robert and Matt,
That’s how I see it as well. The 2010 Gonon was great on release, and I drank a bunch in 2013. It’s shut down hard since. I opened a .375 in October, and while I enjoyed it, I noted that the 15 year rule won’t apply to the half bottles, let alone 750’s. I’m not planning to open another for at least another 5 years, even in small format. I’m pessimistic they’ll be in a peak window even then. However, I’ll be approaching my own peak maturity level, and I want to drink them at some point!!!
Cheers,
Warren
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I still haven’t reached my peak immaturity.