April 7, 2024 - Lots of reduction to begin with, but after 20 minutes the nose really came clean with lots of violets. Mouth has that typical olive brine, not much pepper and grip left. The nose is much nicer than it tastes I guess it’s explained in part by the weaker and colder vintage. Still a nice wine.
March 31, 2024 - Tasted and it felt a bit tight, so double decanted about 90 minutes before serving. Then it was just gorgeous on the nose, with a floral component that permeated everything, from the red and dark fruit to the savory mineral tones, to the meaty and olive-y scents. A complex and very pretty nose. Palate is balanced, shows good density of flavor without excess of any sort, and is long and impactful. Without the detail there compared to the nose, but this is a lovely wine with many, many good years ahead of it.
March 28, 2024 - Asperg Wine Syndrome Tasting Group: Easter Edition 2024 (Asperg): Tasted blind blind. Not decanted at first. Gained more balance after a quick decant. Clear, deep ruby color. Deep, floral herbaceous and spicy nose with some weird pine notes.
On the palate despite a creamy texture fine, spicy, high acidity, only 12,5% abv. Nice grip, mellow tannin. Some warm, cooked fruit, some barn notes. Good length. Needs probably way more time. 92+
March 17, 2024 - Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): I liked this a hair more than the 2013 (which was all red fruit). This is a bit darker, so you get more richness and density on the palate. It's a wine that will last a few years more than the lighter 2013, but the plusher fruit hides the structure so this actually feels more accessible right now.
March 9, 2024 - The nose is extremely beautiful and keeps unfurling. Notes of olive tapenade, blueberry, dark plum, potpourri and tobacco leaf. It’s such a nice perfume. Mouth is lean. Not flat or diluted, just lean. Still some bright acidity, tannins started to melt. Flavors of bell pepper, tomato leaf, red plum. Medium- finish
January 18, 2024 - Needs some minutes in the glass to breathe: red fruit, mainly cherries, some red and black currant, a nice salinity, spices (white pepper) and some meaty notes. Pretty well together, open for business, but not afraid of the years to come.
November 23, 2023 - PnP. ABV 12.5%. One of rare occasions I drink alcohol these days. Beautiful bouquet soaring from glass on get-go. Fragrant and sweet with a touch of Vosne spices ( did I just say that?), could smell this for hours, damn I miss wines like this. Still think Gonon has the best nose of all Northern Rhone wines. Tannins partially resolved, fine and sweet tannins. Not showing lot of complexity though. A cooler vintage style of Gonon with excellent balance. Delicious now with years to go.
November 17, 2023 - Loads of black pepper & florals, plenty of animale, and nice black & red fruits. Not overtly heavy, but enough power in the acid & rustic profile. Drinking well
October 23, 2023 - Houston Northern Rhone Blowout: The 14 overperforms again. It was the weakest in a flight of 09<13<10, but on its own, remains a fantastic bottle of syrah. Lighter in body than the others and more red fruited, it is somewhat classic and I wonder if it will make great old bones like many 98s and 01s have done?
October 17, 2023 - Mineral, olive, spice. We’ll balanced. Much less aromatic than the 2019 I recently had.
Paired well with bacon frisée and beef Bourgogne.