WOW. In a night with a lot of great wines, this was probably the best. Opened late as "just one more" bottle, but it was fantastic. Pure black olive juice on the nose at first, but then it picked up a bloody, iron note like raw game meat. I love Gonon's IdF, and sadly can't really get it anymore. Down to just a few bottles of various vintages. So, so good.
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I bought 9 bottles of this wine and this was the last of the lot. I did not buy enough. At age 7 the wine has shed its puppy fat—this doesn’t drink like a Beaujolais at all (in the way it did soon after release). That said, there is still a wonderful freshness to the fruit, even as it has taken on a blacker tone and the Smokey/savory aromas have become more prominent. There is still that cooling acidity that has always kept this wine lively on the palate. No real tannin to speak of (was there ever?), but it still comes off as fresh and young and full of life. It’s in a great place to drink (as it has always been since release), and yet no rush to do so if you’ve got more.
I have to confess I think I tend to like Gonon’s Iles Feray more than the St. Joseph. Sure, the latter has the sort of heft/body and tannic structure that promise the wine will make old bones. But honestly it’ll take those wines years of aging to get to the sort of beautiful state that the Iles Feray seems to be in right out of the gate.
Pity about pricing and availability though.
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Consistent with prior note. Lord how I love this wine. Absurd value at its original $28 tariff 4 years ago. I think this might be my favorite vintage thus far. Too bad I’ve just got one more bottle left.
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Half way through the six pack I bought on release, and it's just fantastic, with smoky, meaty depth as well as ripe berry fruit. Honestly I prefer this wine over the 2012 Gonon St. Joseph. Maybe time will change that. We'll see.
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Certainly has changed since my last note much more funky cloudy red natural berry fruit. Tastes like it is fermenting in your mouth. Decent. But kind of a challenge.
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Purple color Complex nose of lavender, light brett, pain grille, plums, blueberry (day 2) Palate - lavender, plums, blueberry, minerals, brett, and pain grille Medium-bodied, balanced acidity, and a solid, earthy finish. Day 2 - more fruit and less animal than day 1
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Started closed and tight, but two hours later much more life and layers of flavors. Fruit, acid, tapenade. Needs more years to resolve but strong showing.
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Last of my bottles, and as usual this delivers those classic Northern Rhone flavours in spades. Red fruits, olives, and high toned peppery and floral notes all conveyed with finesse and grace on a lightweight palate. This is drinking beautifully now, carried by bright acids with a faint tannic graininess on the back end.
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Decided to go out for BBQ after work and brought this since the bbq spot was BYOB. I opened the wine at about 12:30 in anticipation of a 6:30 dinner. I did not have a chance to follow the progression at the office. But, by the time dinner rolled around, the wine's aroma was jumping out of the glass. The notes that jumped out at me most were meat, smoke, leather, and the characteristic that I most associate with these Gonon - brine and olives.
Given the big dense notes on the nose, you might expect this wine to also be big and brooding on the palate. Not so. It has a nice dose of acidity that keeps it light and vibrant as you drink it. Although the fruit is a secondary player on the nose, it comes through more in the palate, some raspberry, boysenberry and later I noted, although muted, some cranberry. Also a small herbal component was noticeable, though that was tertiary for me.
This is very good wine, especially for the price. I hope to see the 2013s go on sale soon.
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Excellent Syrah. Plush and smooth with a good texture and light fruit. Nose is classic Syrah with notes of olive and herbs. Easy to drink without any sharp tannins.
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When first opened this is rather lean and shows lots of interesting herbal elements. Reminds me of great traditional Cote Rotie in many ways but a little angular.
With some air in the Coravin and 24 house, this becomes full. The palate really fills out.
The herbal element becomes background to the interesting darker fruit. It shows such great complexity. Gentaz type of crazy complexity.
Great finish. Fresh.
If you told me this was a Cote Rotie from Gangloff, I would say it was a good one.
A Vin de Pays from the Ardeche? Wow!
This is such a great buy. I am lucky to have a friendly person willing to encourage these kinds of great wines.
Many thanks Marty for talking me into this. I appreciate it.
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PnP then went back to it 2 hours later. Lots of black olives and brine. Some smoke and herbs. Dark fruit. Very savory. Definitely weightier and more serious than the bottle I tried 8 months ago (so much so that I double checked I hadn't opened the St. Joseph).
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Tuesdays with Salil: WOW nose. floral - tending toward lavender. meaty and salty notes as well. smoke/cured meat - with black olives. With time - more toward acidic black berries - boysenberry? red currants? high acid mid with a good streak of herbs - at the same time - lots of ripe delicious fruit. long finish... i need some of this!
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Big Game Rieslings (Count's place, NY): Another great showing. An amazing scent from the moment the cork was pulled; lavender, freshly ground pepper, cured meat, and briny olive aromas lead into a palate that's very light on its feet with a remarkable sense of freshness to the bright fruit and other savoury flavours here.
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Lots of dark fruit, a bit sappy at first, too. Gonon makes a really good Vin de Pays and I like this vintage a bunch. I'll be putting three bottles away for longer term storage as usual.
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Bottle decanted for a couple hours since the last couple bottles were a bit tight. Really rounded out the lavander, smoke, mineral and fresh berry fruit. Some secondary characteristics when decanted for another hour or so with some more spices, star anise a touch of pepper and earth. Killer juice.
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Love the punch in the face of lavender with this wine. More closed than the last bottle. Tight up front and tannins on the finish. On the 2nd day it was still tight but revealing more lavander, mineral, cherry fruit and a potpourri of spices and florals. A bit pricey for a VDP but damn is it delicious!
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see previous notes...very good wine, and they drink better after being open for a couple of days..great fruit, aromatics, acidity, just fun wine. This paired great with our smoked barbecue chicken sandwiches!!
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Gonons and Rougeards (Riverpark, NYC): Not quite as good a showing as previous bottles, perhaps suffered in comparison when poured right alongside the '12 St. Jo. This has a really pretty scent, floral and peppery notes framing bright red fruits, though it comes across a touch lean on the palate. It's very elegant and friendly, great for immediate drinking, but doesn't have the depth or complexity of the St. Joseph poured alongside.
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Wow, this may be the best vintage of this wine that I've had... doesn't have the stuffing or intensity of its bigger brother, but for what it is, just a great bottle of Syrah. Fairly open throughout the evening.
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I love this wine. It's got the meaty/savory Northern Rhone aromatics but also a floral character. On the palate it's got a brightness and a light body reminiscent of Beaujolais. A wine to please geeks and newbies alike.
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Brooklynguy brought this to a French/Guadalupean BYO joint in Park Slope. At first pour, I smell and comment "olives". Later in the evening, we pour a glass for the waitress, who comes back and asks if there are olives in this wine. Very nice N. Rhone, primary and simple with its blue/black fruit. May develop into something more cerebral in time, but even if it doesn't, it's just so easy and drinkable today.
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Took this to a BYO place in Brooklyn. Offered the server a glass after it had been open maybe 45 minutes. She thanked us and walked away. Before she got wherever she was going she turned back and came to us to ask "did you put olives in this?" No, I said. "I love olives," she said, "and it tastes like there are olives in here.
The aromas are a panoply of herbs, lavender and black olives, really pretty stunning. Palate shows a bit stemmy (which the nose initially did, too), but then there's a savory, meaty aspect, with mouth watering acidity, medium tannins, and a tart red fruit and herb finish (think thyme). A terrific early drinker, and very much a value wine. E really liked this, always a good sign.
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Another winner from Gonon. So much going on here, bright peppery and faint lavender notes framing bright red fruits and olives, and with air it turns more savoury and complex. There's a sense of freshness and vibrancy to the fruit here that makes this really easy to drink, lively acids underneath and this is just a fantastic wine to drink young while waiting for the St. Joseph to come around.
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As stated previously, great qpr. Wonderful pure dark ripe fruits with olives, meats, flowers, and stony minerality. Great lift on the palate from the wonderful acidity. Stayed fresh for dYs in the fridge.
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BTG. Lots and lots of whole cluster influence, olive and cracked green peppercorn and green bean. There's also a fair amount of smoke and iodine, with purple berry fruit in the background. The palate is nice and silky and savory but still dominated by the stems. I like the smoky wildness and htethe silky texture, but I'm not a huge fan of stems so this didn't do much for me. Those that like whole cluster treatment will enjoy this a lot more.
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This was a joyful bottle, drunk over two days. (It showed better than a bottle drunk a couple of weeks ago.) On day one, the wine was bigger and wilder. Aromatically exuberant after a few hours open, it smelled like black olives in particular. The texture was slightly glossy, with an oiliness that nicely combined with the smell, and it tasted relatively dark and rich (but not over-rich). The bottle tasted fresher and more mineral on day two when it was less aromatic but perhaps showed more balance on the palate.
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Old school - olive, dark fruit, dark cherry, stones. Very clear on the palate with stones, chewy and a touch of olive. Excellent QPR. Solid, well made. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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Fantastic nose of olive and pepper, followed up by more olive notes on the palate. This is "old school" Northern Rhone done in a early-drinking style. Delicious stuff!
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Saturday Afternoon at Domaine - featuring Nebbiolo (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): I felt the intensity on this wine was really dialed up from the 2011. The nose had more dark berries, earth, and meat and was to the point that the aromas itself seemed to take on weight. What makes the Gonon brothers great is that even with the intensity tipping the scales, the body of the wine is lithe and elegant. Still very young I think this will develop more, but it already has great dark fruits, meat and earth components on the palate.
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A very intriguing Northern Rhone Syrah. Dark in color. This changed significantly over the course of the meal. Starting with typical notes of olives and meat and then evolving into a plush wine with crushed berries and a velvety texture. Next time I will decant this. Excellent stuff.
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Saturday Fun at Domaine (Chicago, IL): A nose of both black and green spices (black peppercorns and anise). Very austere with earth and dirt notes dominating. Missing the fruit, especially for such a young wine. Not my thing.
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This wine gets better each year, as the vines age. It is an excellent young vines wine, and an archetypical Northern Rhone syrah. Aromas are fleshy and substantial, complex, pretty and funky at the same time, and with an airy freshness and purity that is typical of the Gonons. On day 1 I got dark, dark fruit, smoke and tar, raw meat and fur, and pungent stony minerality. A bit rough but in a good way. Day two is much more harmonious, and more gentle, with pronounced olives and blood on top of ripe dark fruit and stone. Balanced, lovely, energetic, excellent wine. The reference standard for what terroir expressive young vines Northern Rhone syrah should be, in my (only moderately well documented) book.
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Drunk over the course of 3 nights. Extremely reductive and inscrutable on the first night, and really on the 2nd night as well. By the 3rd night, it had opened up to reveal some nice cool syrah aromatics, but remained somewhat mute on the palate. I think this just needs some time, but it doesn't impress me as much at this stage as the last few vintages have.
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The aromatics here are somewhat understated at first, but this quickly opens out with air to show bright floral and peppery notes and a core of pure red fruited flavours and smoke beneath. This is all about freshness and lightness, with the tannins barely noticeable beneath the sappy youthful fruit and a really bright acid spine keeping it very light and elegant. Lovely.
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Deep and gravelly, with good floral notes, smoked/salted meats, and black pepper. The texture is gentle and luscious, with soft, ever so slightly gritty tannins. Delicious! Another winner from Gonon.
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12/28/2023 - ledocq Likes this wine:
Tricky bottle - at first, seemed a little tart but after 3 hours it was magnificent.
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11/5/2022 - sleepyhaus wrote:
WOW. In a night with a lot of great wines, this was probably the best. Opened late as "just one more" bottle, but it was fantastic. Pure black olive juice on the nose at first, but then it picked up a bloody, iron note like raw game meat. I love Gonon's IdF, and sadly can't really get it anymore. Down to just a few bottles of various vintages. So, so good.
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11/10/2019 - MartyL wrote: 94 Points
I bought 9 bottles of this wine and this was the last of the lot. I did not buy enough. At age 7 the wine has shed its puppy fat—this doesn’t drink like a Beaujolais at all (in the way it did soon after release). That said, there is still a wonderful freshness to the fruit, even as it has taken on a blacker tone and the Smokey/savory aromas have become more prominent. There is still that cooling acidity that has always kept this wine lively on the palate. No real tannin to speak of (was there ever?), but it still comes off as fresh and young and full of life. It’s in a great place to drink (as it has always been since release), and yet no rush to do so if you’ve got more.
I have to confess I think I tend to like Gonon’s Iles Feray more than the St. Joseph. Sure, the latter has the sort of heft/body and tannic structure that promise the wine will make old bones. But honestly it’ll take those wines years of aging to get to the sort of beautiful state that the Iles Feray seems to be in right out of the gate.
Pity about pricing and availability though.
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11/18/2018 - MartyL wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with prior note. Lord how I love this wine. Absurd value at its original $28 tariff 4 years ago. I think this might be my favorite vintage thus far. Too bad I’ve just got one more bottle left.
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7/16/2017 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Half way through the six pack I bought on release, and it's just fantastic, with smoky, meaty depth as well as ripe berry fruit. Honestly I prefer this wine over the 2012 Gonon St. Joseph. Maybe time will change that. We'll see.
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6/30/2017 - gwkozar Likes this wine: 90 Points
decanted 45 minutes. served with herbed Lamb Chops. wonderful
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3/28/2017 - lolo66 wrote:
Certainly has changed since my last note much more funky cloudy red natural berry fruit. Tastes like it is fermenting in your mouth. Decent. But kind of a challenge.
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1/22/2017 - redwhiteandrich Likes this wine: 92 Points
Goodness. So fresh, so pure.
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3/6/2016 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Gave this about 3 hours of air. Very rustic and expressive. Loved its cured meat profile...and airy palate. Should age nicely for a while.
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11/22/2015 - Meerlust wrote: 90 Points
Purple color
Complex nose of lavender, light brett, pain grille, plums, blueberry (day 2)
Palate - lavender, plums, blueberry, minerals, brett, and pain grille
Medium-bodied, balanced acidity, and a solid, earthy finish.
Day 2 - more fruit and less animal than day 1
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9/2/2015 - lolo66 wrote:
this is olive tapenade juice. I think this is over done. I don't get the fruit or floral elements, just overwhelming olives.
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6/16/2015 - LW31 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Started closed and tight, but two hours later much more life and layers of flavors. Fruit, acid, tapenade. Needs more years to resolve but strong showing.
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6/8/2015 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Last of my bottles, and as usual this delivers those classic Northern Rhone flavours in spades. Red fruits, olives, and high toned peppery and floral notes all conveyed with finesse and grace on a lightweight palate. This is drinking beautifully now, carried by bright acids with a faint tannic graininess on the back end.
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2/11/2015 - JimmyGillingham Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decided to go out for BBQ after work and brought this since the bbq spot was BYOB. I opened the wine at about 12:30 in anticipation of a 6:30 dinner. I did not have a chance to follow the progression at the office. But, by the time dinner rolled around, the wine's aroma was jumping out of the glass. The notes that jumped out at me most were meat, smoke, leather, and the characteristic that I most associate with these Gonon - brine and olives.
Given the big dense notes on the nose, you might expect this wine to also be big and brooding on the palate. Not so. It has a nice dose of acidity that keeps it light and vibrant as you drink it. Although the fruit is a secondary player on the nose, it comes through more in the palate, some raspberry, boysenberry and later I noted, although muted, some cranberry. Also a small herbal component was noticeable, though that was tertiary for me.
This is very good wine, especially for the price. I hope to see the 2013s go on sale soon.
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1/2/2015 - JOsgood wrote: 90 Points
Excellent Syrah. Plush and smooth with a good texture and light fruit. Nose is classic Syrah with notes of olive and herbs. Easy to drink without any sharp tannins.
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11/4/2014 - DCornutt wrote:
When first opened this is rather lean and shows lots of interesting herbal elements. Reminds me of great traditional Cote Rotie in many ways but a little angular.
With some air in the Coravin and 24 house, this becomes full. The palate really fills out.
The herbal element becomes background to the interesting darker fruit. It shows such great complexity. Gentaz type of crazy complexity.
Great finish. Fresh.
If you told me this was a Cote Rotie from Gangloff, I would say it was a good one.
A Vin de Pays from the Ardeche?
Wow!
This is such a great buy. I am lucky to have a friendly person willing to encourage these kinds of great wines.
Many thanks Marty for talking me into this. I appreciate it.
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11/3/2014 - Zonk wrote: 91 Points
PnP then went back to it 2 hours later. Lots of black olives and brine. Some smoke and herbs. Dark fruit. Very savory. Definitely weightier and more serious than the bottle I tried 8 months ago (so much so that I double checked I hadn't opened the St. Joseph).
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10/24/2014 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
Tuesdays with Salil: WOW nose. floral - tending toward lavender. meaty and salty notes as well. smoke/cured meat - with black olives. With time - more toward acidic black berries - boysenberry? red currants? high acid mid with a good streak of herbs - at the same time - lots of ripe delicious fruit. long finish... i need some of this!
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10/21/2014 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Big Game Rieslings (Count's place, NY): Another great showing. An amazing scent from the moment the cork was pulled; lavender, freshly ground pepper, cured meat, and briny olive aromas lead into a palate that's very light on its feet with a remarkable sense of freshness to the bright fruit and other savoury flavours here.
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10/16/2014 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
Lots of dark fruit, a bit sappy at first, too. Gonon makes a really good Vin de Pays and I like this vintage a bunch. I'll be putting three bottles away for longer term storage as usual.
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9/2/2014 - bajayngo wrote:
Bottle decanted for a couple hours since the last couple bottles were a bit tight. Really rounded out the lavander, smoke, mineral and fresh berry fruit. Some secondary characteristics when decanted for another hour or so with some more spices, star anise a touch of pepper and earth. Killer juice.
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8/30/2014 - bajayngo wrote:
Love the punch in the face of lavender with this wine. More closed than the last bottle. Tight up front and tannins on the finish. On the 2nd day it was still tight but revealing more lavander, mineral, cherry fruit and a potpourri of spices and florals. A bit pricey for a VDP but damn is it delicious!
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8/23/2014 - JOsgood wrote: 90 Points
Delicious classic Syrah. Pure and expressive with classic notes of olives and meat blood. Light and elegant. Great stuff.
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8/20/2014 - bajayngo wrote:
Lavender, pepper, liquid rocks, rust and fresh cherries and blue fruits. Love this style of wine!
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8/1/2014 - Sheila62 Likes this wine:
see previous notes...very good wine, and they drink better after being open for a couple of days..great fruit, aromatics, acidity, just fun wine. This paired great with our smoked barbecue chicken sandwiches!!
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7/6/2014 - Sennma wrote:
Drinking these up way too quickly...
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7/1/2014 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Gonons and Rougeards (Riverpark, NYC): Not quite as good a showing as previous bottles, perhaps suffered in comparison when poured right alongside the '12 St. Jo. This has a really pretty scent, floral and peppery notes framing bright red fruits, though it comes across a touch lean on the palate. It's very elegant and friendly, great for immediate drinking, but doesn't have the depth or complexity of the St. Joseph poured alongside.
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6/29/2014 - Chris Newport wrote:
Wow, this may be the best vintage of this wine that I've had... doesn't have the stuffing or intensity of its bigger brother, but for what it is, just a great bottle of Syrah. Fairly open throughout the evening.
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6/26/2014 - rhit Likes this wine:
The total package: great aromatics, dark fruit, savory and mineral flavors, and raw drinkability. Absolutely delicious.
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6/24/2014 - MartyL wrote: 94 Points
I love this wine. It's got the meaty/savory Northern Rhone aromatics but also a floral character. On the palate it's got a brightness and a light body reminiscent of Beaujolais. A wine to please geeks and newbies alike.
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6/8/2014 - Pknut wrote:
Brooklynguy brought this to a French/Guadalupean BYO joint in Park Slope. At first pour, I smell and comment "olives". Later in the evening, we pour a glass for the waitress, who comes back and asks if there are olives in this wine. Very nice N. Rhone, primary and simple with its blue/black fruit. May develop into something more cerebral in time, but even if it doesn't, it's just so easy and drinkable today.
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6/8/2014 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
Took this to a BYO place in Brooklyn. Offered the server a glass after it had been open maybe 45 minutes. She thanked us and walked away. Before she got wherever she was going she turned back and came to us to ask "did you put olives in this?" No, I said. "I love olives," she said, "and it tastes like there are olives in here.
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6/7/2014 - xwine wrote:
The aromas are a panoply of herbs, lavender and black olives, really pretty stunning. Palate shows a bit stemmy (which the nose initially did, too), but then there's a savory, meaty aspect, with mouth watering acidity, medium tannins, and a tart red fruit and herb finish (think thyme). A terrific early drinker, and very much a value wine. E really liked this, always a good sign.
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6/6/2014 - JJKinch wrote: 91 Points
Red fruit (cherry), strong acidity, nice minerality. Slight spice.
Slight bacon. Slight olive. Nice finish. Really fresh. Really enjoyable.
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5/27/2014 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Another winner from Gonon. So much going on here, bright peppery and faint lavender notes framing bright red fruits and olives, and with air it turns more savoury and complex. There's a sense of freshness and vibrancy to the fruit here that makes this really easy to drink, lively acids underneath and this is just a fantastic wine to drink young while waiting for the St. Joseph to come around.
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5/26/2014 - Sheila62 Likes this wine:
As stated previously, great qpr. Wonderful pure dark ripe fruits with olives, meats, flowers, and stony minerality. Great lift on the palate from the wonderful acidity. Stayed fresh for dYs in the fridge.
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4/28/2014 - xwine wrote:
No notes taken but, as usual, a stellar wine and very good QPR. Some olives and meat, deep fruit (more detail next time).
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4/17/2014 - coremill wrote: 86 Points
BTG. Lots and lots of whole cluster influence, olive and cracked green peppercorn and green bean. There's also a fair amount of smoke and iodine, with purple berry fruit in the background. The palate is nice and silky and savory but still dominated by the stems. I like the smoky wildness and htethe silky texture, but I'm not a huge fan of stems so this didn't do much for me. Those that like whole cluster treatment will enjoy this a lot more.
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4/16/2014 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
This was a joyful bottle, drunk over two days. (It showed better than a bottle drunk a couple of weeks ago.) On day one, the wine was bigger and wilder. Aromatically exuberant after a few hours open, it smelled like black olives in particular. The texture was slightly glossy, with an oiliness that nicely combined with the smell, and it tasted relatively dark and rich (but not over-rich). The bottle tasted fresher and more mineral on day two when it was less aromatic but perhaps showed more balance on the palate.
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4/8/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Old school - olive, dark fruit, dark cherry, stones. Very clear on the palate with stones, chewy and a touch of olive. Excellent QPR. Solid, well made. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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4/1/2014 - rm wines wrote:
Fantastic nose of olive and pepper, followed up by more olive notes on the palate. This is "old school" Northern Rhone done in a early-drinking style. Delicious stuff!
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3/18/2014 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Light; Skews to a natural profile; Pickle; Nice;
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3/15/2014 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Saturday Afternoon at Domaine - featuring Nebbiolo (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): I felt the intensity on this wine was really dialed up from the 2011. The nose had more dark berries, earth, and meat and was to the point that the aromas itself seemed to take on weight. What makes the Gonon brothers great is that even with the intensity tipping the scales, the body of the wine is lithe and elegant. Still very young I think this will develop more, but it already has great dark fruits, meat and earth components on the palate.
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3/15/2014 - JOsgood wrote: 91 Points
A very intriguing Northern Rhone Syrah. Dark in color. This changed significantly over the course of the meal. Starting with typical notes of olives and meat and then evolving into a plush wine with crushed berries and a velvety texture. Next time I will decant this. Excellent stuff.
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3/15/2014 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
Saturday Fun at Domaine (Chicago, IL): A nose of both black and green spices (black peppercorns and anise). Very austere with earth and dirt notes dominating. Missing the fruit, especially for such a young wine. Not my thing.
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3/14/2014 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
This wine gets better each year, as the vines age. It is an excellent young vines wine, and an archetypical Northern Rhone syrah. Aromas are fleshy and substantial, complex, pretty and funky at the same time, and with an airy freshness and purity that is typical of the Gonons. On day 1 I got dark, dark fruit, smoke and tar, raw meat and fur, and pungent stony minerality. A bit rough but in a good way. Day two is much more harmonious, and more gentle, with pronounced olives and blood on top of ripe dark fruit and stone. Balanced, lovely, energetic, excellent wine. The reference standard for what terroir expressive young vines Northern Rhone syrah should be, in my (only moderately well documented) book.
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3/12/2014 - Spencer wrote:
Drunk over the course of 3 nights. Extremely reductive and inscrutable on the first night, and really on the 2nd night as well. By the 3rd night, it had opened up to reveal some nice cool syrah aromatics, but remained somewhat mute on the palate. I think this just needs some time, but it doesn't impress me as much at this stage as the last few vintages have.
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3/11/2014 - Zonk wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour.Served just above cellar temp. Floral aromas. Light and fresh with a bit of spice. Red fruit good acidity. Really nicely done.
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3/6/2014 - salil wrote: 91 Points
The aromatics here are somewhat understated at first, but this quickly opens out with air to show bright floral and peppery notes and a core of pure red fruited flavours and smoke beneath. This is all about freshness and lightness, with the tannins barely noticeable beneath the sappy youthful fruit and a really bright acid spine keeping it very light and elegant. Lovely.
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3/5/2014 - Chomsky wrote:
Deep and gravelly, with good floral notes, smoked/salted meats, and black pepper. The texture is gentle and luscious, with soft, ever so slightly gritty tannins. Delicious! Another winner from Gonon.
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3/2/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Four Visiting French Producers from Joli Vin Imports (Dig Wines, San Francisco): Deep Syrah color. Intense floral fragrance that so marks these Gonon wines. Medium weight, beautiful black and red fruit, gentle tannins. Extremely supple and drinkable for young Syrah-pretty lovely vin de pays.
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