2019 Saint-Joseph

Pulling my car into the driveway of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon means I’ve arrived. Gonon is what Saint-Joseph is all about: elegance, classicism and a level of terroir-driven transparency that is hard to beat. The 2022 red is stunning, firmly placing itself at the top of the appellation's quality pyramid. It’s always a rare treat to taste their Chasselas, a wine that’s virtually impossible to find on the market because of its tiny production—often fewer than 1,000 bottles. Jean Gonon reported healthy yields of 38 hl/ha for the 2023 reds, noting that during the August heatwave, sugar ripening stalled at times, but phenolic ripeness continued. This progression helped the tannins achieve full maturity by harvest. The next generation of Gonons is also beginning to contribute, with Pierre’s son Louis joining the domaine just a week before my November visit. To finish our tasting, Jean Gonon poured a wine blind, which yours truly nailed on the first attempt—the magnificent 2010, now entering its prime drinking window.

Pulling my car into the driveway of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon means I’ve arrived. Gonon is what Saint-Joseph is all about: elegance, classicism and a level of terroir-driven transparency that is hard to beat. The 2022 red is stunning, firmly placing itself at the top of the appellation's quality pyramid. It’s always a rare treat to taste their Chasselas, a wine that’s virtually impossible to find on the market because of its tiny production—often fewer than 1,000 bottles. Jean Gonon reported healthy yields of 38 hl/ha for the 2023 reds, noting that during the August heatwave, sugar ripening stalled at times, but phenolic ripeness continued. This progression helped the tannins achieve full maturity by harvest. The next generation of Gonons is also beginning to contribute, with Pierre’s son Louis joining the domaine just a week before my November visit. To finish our tasting, Jean Gonon poured a wine blind, which yours truly nailed on the first attempt—the magnificent 2010, now entering its prime drinking window.

The wines of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon continue to be a benchmark for the entire Saint-Joseph appellation. Spanning roughly 11 hectares of vineyards in Saint-Joseph and some Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche, all vines are farmed organically. Readers unfamiliar with this domaine might not know that apart from Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, the Gonons also vinify tiny amounts of Chasselas. “We took over these vineyards from Raymond Trollat in 2011,” Pierre Gonon explained. “The vines are planted in a very warm, well-exposed location, and until the 1980s, the grapes were actually sold as table grapes. At one point back in time, Raymond Trollat started to make two Chasselas-Marsanne blends, one from younger vines with a majority of Marsanne and another from older vines with more Chasselas. When handing both wines out for tasting, people generally preferred the latter. When we took over these vineyards, we opted to keep the vines and make a single-varietal Chasselas. Today, the vines are quite old, around 80 years on average, and yields are really small. In 2021, for example, we only made 600 bottles.” In that context, it was a privilege to taste the 2021 Chasselas, a delightful white with lifting energy and excellent freshness. When talking about the 2021 vintage in general, Pierre Gonon recalled, “The year started with a dry spring and a bit of frost in April. Then the rain came. Although there were some dry patches between the rains, the amount of water each time was just massive. There were periods in June where we received three times 20 millimeters - in a single week! As this meant a lot of moisture in the air, rot pressure was high throughout the year. Sorting needed to be rigorous and almost fully took place in the vineyards, which really slowed us down. In some plots, we literally gave up and cut everything down. It's the first time since my brother and I have been working together that we actually left behind completely unharvested grapes. What little did make the selection was harvested by the last week of September. I remember my brother and I eating soup with potted meat and mussels while outside, the heavy rains continued. We both were a bit down because we knew that we didn't bring in all the grapes when we knew there were still some outside. But it was over, and it was for the best that we stopped.” In 2021, roughly half of the grapes were destemmed, which is much more compared to 2022, when the Gonons worked with roughly 85% whole clusters during fermentation. In comparison to that, 100% of whole clusters were used in 2017 and 90% in 2020. Tasting the 2021s revealed that the rigorous sorting paid off, with both the white and red Saint-Joseph performing well. When asking Pierre Gonon whether there would be a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2021, he confirmed that they won't make it. I wouldn’t place the promising whites of 2022 above those from 2021. The reds in 2022 clearly have the edge. That being said, Pierre Gonon was not yet sure at the time of our meeting whether they would bottle a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2022. While tasting through the wines with Pierre Gonon, his brother Jean was busy dealing with UK visitors. The chemistry between the two brothers works well, prompting my interest in delving deeper into their collaboration. “We both work in the vineyard and cellar. But while my brother, Jean, really enjoys engaging with clients, I love to take care of everything cellar-related, everything that is solitary work, treatment and equipment. I also enjoy engaging in long-term projects, such as planting and construction. Every morning, my brother and I talk before our teams arrive. We discuss what we're going to do, how we do this, how we do that. Once we've decided on something, we don't need to talk anymore; we look at each other, and there’s an understanding.” Overall exports of the Gonon wines remain at roughly 50%, with the UK taking the lion's share, followed by the US.

The wines of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon continue to be a benchmark for the entire Saint-Joseph appellation. Spanning roughly 11 hectares of vineyards in Saint-Joseph and some Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche, all vines are farmed organically. Readers unfamiliar with this domaine might not know that apart from Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, the Gonons also vinify tiny amounts of Chasselas. “We took over these vineyards from Raymond Trollat in 2011,” Pierre Gonon explained. “The vines are planted in a very warm, well-exposed location, and until the 1980s, the grapes were actually sold as table grapes. At one point back in time, Raymond Trollat started to make two Chasselas-Marsanne blends, one from younger vines with a majority of Marsanne and another from older vines with more Chasselas. When handing both wines out for tasting, people generally preferred the latter. When we took over these vineyards, we opted to keep the vines and make a single-varietal Chasselas. Today, the vines are quite old, around 80 years on average, and yields are really small. In 2021, for example, we only made 600 bottles.” In that context, it was a privilege to taste the 2021 Chasselas, a delightful white with lifting energy and excellent freshness. When talking about the 2021 vintage in general, Pierre Gonon recalled, “The year started with a dry spring and a bit of frost in April. Then the rain came. Although there were some dry patches between the rains, the amount of water each time was just massive. There were periods in June where we received three times 20 millimeters - in a single week! As this meant a lot of moisture in the air, rot pressure was high throughout the year. Sorting needed to be rigorous and almost fully took place in the vineyards, which really slowed us down. In some plots, we literally gave up and cut everything down. It's the first time since my brother and I have been working together that we actually left behind completely unharvested grapes. What little did make the selection was harvested by the last week of September. I remember my brother and I eating soup with potted meat and mussels while outside, the heavy rains continued. We both were a bit down because we knew that we didn't bring in all the grapes when we knew there were still some outside. But it was over, and it was for the best that we stopped.” In 2021, roughly half of the grapes were destemmed, which is much more compared to 2022, when the Gonons worked with roughly 85% whole clusters during fermentation. In comparison to that, 100% of whole clusters were used in 2017 and 90% in 2020. Tasting the 2021s revealed that the rigorous sorting paid off, with both the white and red Saint-Joseph performing well. When asking Pierre Gonon whether there would be a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2021, he confirmed that they won't make it. I wouldn’t place the promising whites of 2022 above those from 2021. The reds in 2022 clearly have the edge. That being said, Pierre Gonon was not yet sure at the time of our meeting whether they would bottle a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2022. While tasting through the wines with Pierre Gonon, his brother Jean was busy dealing with UK visitors. The chemistry between the two brothers works well, prompting my interest in delving deeper into their collaboration. “We both work in the vineyard and cellar. But while my brother, Jean, really enjoys engaging with clients, I love to take care of everything cellar-related, everything that is solitary work, treatment and equipment. I also enjoy engaging in long-term projects, such as planting and construction. Every morning, my brother and I talk before our teams arrive. We discuss what we're going to do, how we do this, how we do that. Once we've decided on something, we don't need to talk anymore; we look at each other, and there’s an understanding.” Overall exports of the Gonon wines remain at roughly 50%, with the UK taking the lion's share, followed by the US.

The demand for the Gonon brothers’ Saint-Joseph continues to rise, as does the price, predictably. As with other producers whose wines now trade for nosebleed amounts, this is no fault of the domaine, but squarely on a market that focuses on and obsesses over a handful of producers per appellation. Readers know who they are. Having said that, and at the risk of fanning the flames, this has become not just a benchmark estate for Saint-Joseph, but for the entire Rhône valley. Their colleagues and neighbors highly regard Pierre and Jean Gonon for the meticulous farming of their vineyards, which now span 10 hectares and include a significant number of old vines. All whole clusters are used here, and the wines are raised in used oak barrels, many of them extremely old and unquestionably neutral.

The wines of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon continue to be a benchmark for the entire Saint-Joseph appellation. Spanning roughly 11 hectares of vineyards in Saint-Joseph and some Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche, all vines are farmed organically. Readers unfamiliar with this domaine might not know that apart from Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, the Gonons also vinify tiny amounts of Chasselas. “We took over these vineyards from Raymond Trollat in 2011,” Pierre Gonon explained. “The vines are planted in a very warm, well-exposed location, and until the 1980s, the grapes were actually sold as table grapes. At one point back in time, Raymond Trollat started to make two Chasselas-Marsanne blends, one from younger vines with a majority of Marsanne and another from older vines with more Chasselas. When handing both wines out for tasting, people generally preferred the latter. When we took over these vineyards, we opted to keep the vines and make a single-varietal Chasselas. Today, the vines are quite old, around 80 years on average, and yields are really small. In 2021, for example, we only made 600 bottles.” In that context, it was a privilege to taste the 2021 Chasselas, a delightful white with lifting energy and excellent freshness. When talking about the 2021 vintage in general, Pierre Gonon recalled, “The year started with a dry spring and a bit of frost in April. Then the rain came. Although there were some dry patches between the rains, the amount of water each time was just massive. There were periods in June where we received three times 20 millimeters - in a single week! As this meant a lot of moisture in the air, rot pressure was high throughout the year. Sorting needed to be rigorous and almost fully took place in the vineyards, which really slowed us down. In some plots, we literally gave up and cut everything down. It's the first time since my brother and I have been working together that we actually left behind completely unharvested grapes. What little did make the selection was harvested by the last week of September. I remember my brother and I eating soup with potted meat and mussels while outside, the heavy rains continued. We both were a bit down because we knew that we didn't bring in all the grapes when we knew there were still some outside. But it was over, and it was for the best that we stopped.” In 2021, roughly half of the grapes were destemmed, which is much more compared to 2022, when the Gonons worked with roughly 85% whole clusters during fermentation. In comparison to that, 100% of whole clusters were used in 2017 and 90% in 2020. Tasting the 2021s revealed that the rigorous sorting paid off, with both the white and red Saint-Joseph performing well. When asking Pierre Gonon whether there would be a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2021, he confirmed that they won't make it. I wouldn’t place the promising whites of 2022 above those from 2021. The reds in 2022 clearly have the edge. That being said, Pierre Gonon was not yet sure at the time of our meeting whether they would bottle a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2022. While tasting through the wines with Pierre Gonon, his brother Jean was busy dealing with UK visitors. The chemistry between the two brothers works well, prompting my interest in delving deeper into their collaboration. “We both work in the vineyard and cellar. But while my brother, Jean, really enjoys engaging with clients, I love to take care of everything cellar-related, everything that is solitary work, treatment and equipment. I also enjoy engaging in long-term projects, such as planting and construction. Every morning, my brother and I talk before our teams arrive. We discuss what we're going to do, how we do this, how we do that. Once we've decided on something, we don't need to talk anymore; we look at each other, and there’s an understanding.” Overall exports of the Gonon wines remain at roughly 50%, with the UK taking the lion's share, followed by the US.

The demand for the Gonon brothers’ Saint-Joseph continues to rise, as does the price, predictably. As with other producers whose wines now trade for nosebleed amounts, this is no fault of the domaine, but squarely on a market that focuses on and obsesses over a handful of producers per appellation. Readers know who they are. Having said that, and at the risk of fanning the flames, this has become not just a benchmark estate for Saint-Joseph, but for the entire Rhône valley. Their colleagues and neighbors highly regard Pierre and Jean Gonon for the meticulous farming of their vineyards, which now span 10 hectares and include a significant number of old vines. All whole clusters are used here, and the wines are raised in used oak barrels, many of them extremely old and unquestionably neutral.

The wines of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon continue to be a benchmark for the entire Saint-Joseph appellation. Spanning roughly 11 hectares of vineyards in Saint-Joseph and some Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche, all vines are farmed organically. Readers unfamiliar with this domaine might not know that apart from Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, the Gonons also vinify tiny amounts of Chasselas. “We took over these vineyards from Raymond Trollat in 2011,” Pierre Gonon explained. “The vines are planted in a very warm, well-exposed location, and until the 1980s, the grapes were actually sold as table grapes. At one point back in time, Raymond Trollat started to make two Chasselas-Marsanne blends, one from younger vines with a majority of Marsanne and another from older vines with more Chasselas. When handing both wines out for tasting, people generally preferred the latter. When we took over these vineyards, we opted to keep the vines and make a single-varietal Chasselas. Today, the vines are quite old, around 80 years on average, and yields are really small. In 2021, for example, we only made 600 bottles.” In that context, it was a privilege to taste the 2021 Chasselas, a delightful white with lifting energy and excellent freshness. When talking about the 2021 vintage in general, Pierre Gonon recalled, “The year started with a dry spring and a bit of frost in April. Then the rain came. Although there were some dry patches between the rains, the amount of water each time was just massive. There were periods in June where we received three times 20 millimeters - in a single week! As this meant a lot of moisture in the air, rot pressure was high throughout the year. Sorting needed to be rigorous and almost fully took place in the vineyards, which really slowed us down. In some plots, we literally gave up and cut everything down. It's the first time since my brother and I have been working together that we actually left behind completely unharvested grapes. What little did make the selection was harvested by the last week of September. I remember my brother and I eating soup with potted meat and mussels while outside, the heavy rains continued. We both were a bit down because we knew that we didn't bring in all the grapes when we knew there were still some outside. But it was over, and it was for the best that we stopped.” In 2021, roughly half of the grapes were destemmed, which is much more compared to 2022, when the Gonons worked with roughly 85% whole clusters during fermentation. In comparison to that, 100% of whole clusters were used in 2017 and 90% in 2020. Tasting the 2021s revealed that the rigorous sorting paid off, with both the white and red Saint-Joseph performing well. When asking Pierre Gonon whether there would be a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2021, he confirmed that they won't make it. I wouldn’t place the promising whites of 2022 above those from 2021. The reds in 2022 clearly have the edge. That being said, Pierre Gonon was not yet sure at the time of our meeting whether they would bottle a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2022. While tasting through the wines with Pierre Gonon, his brother Jean was busy dealing with UK visitors. The chemistry between the two brothers works well, prompting my interest in delving deeper into their collaboration. “We both work in the vineyard and cellar. But while my brother, Jean, really enjoys engaging with clients, I love to take care of everything cellar-related, everything that is solitary work, treatment and equipment. I also enjoy engaging in long-term projects, such as planting and construction. Every morning, my brother and I talk before our teams arrive. We discuss what we're going to do, how we do this, how we do that. Once we've decided on something, we don't need to talk anymore; we look at each other, and there’s an understanding.” Overall exports of the Gonon wines remain at roughly 50%, with the UK taking the lion's share, followed by the US.

The demand for the Gonon brothers’ Saint-Joseph continues to rise, as does the price, predictably. As with other producers whose wines now trade for nosebleed amounts, this is no fault of the domaine, but squarely on a market that focuses on and obsesses over a handful of producers per appellation. Readers know who they are. Having said that, and at the risk of fanning the flames, this has become not just a benchmark estate for Saint-Joseph, but for the entire Rhône valley. Their colleagues and neighbors highly regard Pierre and Jean Gonon for the meticulous farming of their vineyards, which now span 10 hectares and include a significant number of old vines. All whole clusters are used here, and the wines are raised in used oak barrels, many of them extremely old and unquestionably neutral.

Jean Gonon’s take on the 2018 vintage is that it’s one “where ripeness and freshness converge.” The wines are on the rich side, relatively speaking, “but not as powerful as 2017 nor as elegant as 2016, and definitely not as structured as 2015,” he said. Worldwide attention to this domaine’s outstanding wines has caused availability to dry up and driven prices increasingly higher, but there’s no question that they are solidly placed in the upper tier of quality in the northern Rhône, which makes them look pretty reasonable, price-wise, when compared to plenty of other top performers.

Yields were healthy in 2018, Pierre and Jean Gonon told me, checking in at a relatively (for this painstakingly maintained domaine) at 35hl/ha. That was a huge relief after the meagre harvest in 2017, Jean Gonon told me. He also pointed out that the tannin levels in the 2018s, while healthy, are in good relationship to the wine's lush fruit, allowing the wines to be enjoyed on the young side, if one wishes, but with the depth and power to repay cellaring as well. The 2017s, he pointed out, are fully ripe, as one might expect from such a hot year, but he thinks that the wines have “the energy to age well, if not as long as, say, the 2015s,” which he warned “really shouldn’t be drunk now or even any time soon; they require patience.” Once again, the 2018 Les Iles de Feray bottling, made from fruit grown in Saint-Joseph, is an excellent wine in the making and it will deliver outstanding value.

While it’s been great to watch the wine world lavish well-deserved attention, even adoration, on the work of brothers Pierre and Jean Gonon, it’s also bittersweet, as prices for their wines have ascended to the highest level of the appellation. A number of top-notch bottlings from historically more prestigious Cornas, Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage command lower prices and are more readily available. On top of that, Gonon’s Saint-Joseph has become an iconic wine of the northern Rhône. The wine creates a paradigm shift for its appellation. What should be the price for the most in-demand, not to mention scarce wine of a highly regarded appellation in a world-renowned region? All that aside, there’s no question that Gonon’s 2016s are world-class wines and the Saint-Joseph is a standout for the region in this outstanding vintage. It’s a wonderful example of just how graceful Syrah can be in the right hands and from a great terroir. All things considered, it’s still a very good buy.

The Gonon Saint-Joseph has become a hot commodity in recent vintages, with, unsurprisingly, higher and higher prices with the wine's increasing popularity. That said, such is the consistency and sheer quality of the wines that they still deliver great value. I’d happily pour it for comparison next to plenty of other northern Rhône bottlings that sell for two, three and even five times or more the price. The gregarious and frank Jean Gonon told me the 2016 reminds him a lot of the 2012 and 2014 vintage “but with more depth and intensity.” Like most of his neighbors, Gonon thinks it’s a vintage that will be deceptively long-lived but also approachable through most of its life “because the tannins are fine and integrated, not like a shell, which is the issue with 2015 and why those wines will need so much time.”

Jean Gonon said that the 2015 here is "a huge success" and formidably structured, thus "in need of a lot of patience," but he cautioned that "it's more about the vintage than the place now and probably will be for a long time." He’d prefer to drink the '16s "long before the '15s" because they will begin to show real Saint-Joseph character in a few years, like the '12s or '07s, to name vintages of similar freshness. He hastened to point out that he thinks the '16s will enjoy a longer aging curve than those two earlier vintages, a view that I definitely share.

Jean Gonon said that the 2015 here is "a huge success" and formidably structured, thus "in need of a lot of patience," but he cautioned that "it's more about the vintage than the place now and probably will be for a long time." He’d prefer to drink the '16s "long before the '15s" because they will begin to show real Saint-Joseph character in a few years, like the '12s or '07s, to name vintages of similar freshness. He hastened to point out that he thinks the '16s will enjoy a longer aging curve than those two earlier vintages, a view that I definitely share.

What distinguishes 2015 from other hot vintages, Pierre Gonon told me, “is the fact that there was zero sunburn to the grapes so the tannins aren’t dry and the fruit didn’t go to superripe, which was the danger in ’09 and definitely in ’03.” That said, he went on, the stems ripened completely in 2015 “so we could use pretty much as high a percentage as we wished in fermentation because there wasn’t the risk of getting a green character or imparting too much stem tannins into the wines.” The Gonon brothers’ wines have quickly ascended into the top ranks of the northern Rhône, with prices and demand unfortunately following, but they still deliver very good value compared to most Hermitages and Côte-Rôties and even to Cornas bottlings of similar quality. The 2015 Les Iles Feray, in particular, is a fantastic deal; it’s made from massalle-selection vines that lie within the Saint-Joseph appellation, and while it’s vinified with 20% whole clusters rather than the 85% that were included in the ’15 Saint-Joseph, it provides a nice glimpse of the quality of the Gonons’ work for a gentle price.

While it has been frustrating to watch (and pay) steadily increasing prices for Pierre and Jean Gonon's wines, the fact is that they still deliver the best value for top-drawer wine in the northern Rhône. In fact, I would place this estate squarely on my "A" list of wine producers in the world, such is the consistent high quality of the wines for over a decade now.

In Pierre Gonon’s opinion, the 2014s are turning out “a lot like the 2012s but with more structure and the ability to age longer.” The reduced yields of the vintages have given the wines depth, he thinks, and the late harvest allowed the grapes’ skins to thicken sufficiently to provide sound but not too-strong tannins. The smart buy here, if you can find it, is the Les Isle Feray, which is made from the estate’s young Saint-Joseph vines but simply labeled as a Vin de Pays because Pierre and his brother, Jean, think that while it’s a solid Saint-Joseph, it would be a distraction from their flagship bottling, which they wish to keep as a “regular” wine, “not a reserve.”

While it has been frustrating to watch (and pay) steadily increasing prices for Pierre and Jean Gonon's wines, the fact is that they still deliver the best value for top-drawer wine in the northern Rhône. In fact, I would place this estate squarely on my "A" list of wine producers in the world, such is the consistent high quality of the wines for over a decade now.

The Gonon brothers' wines have become real objects of desire in recent years. And while they've become increasingly difficult to purchase here in the U.S. they’re well worth the hunt as well as the inevitably higher prices that they now command. Pierre Gonon told me in December that he considers 2013 to be "a classic vintage in style, with elegance and freshness emphasized," but he also thinks that the wines will be best enjoyed on the young side "while the fruit is strong." He's more confident in the ageworthiness of the 2012s and is particularly fond of "the silk and harmony of the tannins," which will allow the wines to age as well as to be enjoyed in their youth. Gonon opened a bottle of the 2005 Saint-Joseph at the end of our tasting and the wine is simply gorgeous, with intense red fruit and floral character and supple tannins that fade smoothly into the wine's fruit. If you have any, consider yourself fortunate. And you probably paid less than half what the '12 will be going for, to boot.

While it has been frustrating to watch (and pay) steadily increasing prices for Pierre and Jean Gonon's wines, the fact is that they still deliver the best value for top-drawer wine in the northern Rhône. In fact, I would place this estate squarely on my "A" list of wine producers in the world, such is the consistent high quality of the wines for over a decade now.

The Gonon brothers' wines have become real objects of desire in recent years. And while they've become increasingly difficult to purchase here in the U.S. they’re well worth the hunt as well as the inevitably higher prices that they now command. Pierre Gonon told me in December that he considers 2013 to be "a classic vintage in style, with elegance and freshness emphasized," but he also thinks that the wines will be best enjoyed on the young side "while the fruit is strong." He's more confident in the ageworthiness of the 2012s and is particularly fond of "the silk and harmony of the tannins," which will allow the wines to age as well as to be enjoyed in their youth. Gonon opened a bottle of the 2005 Saint-Joseph at the end of our tasting and the wine is simply gorgeous, with intense red fruit and floral character and supple tannins that fade smoothly into the wine's fruit. If you have any, consider yourself fortunate. And you probably paid less than half what the '12 will be going for, to boot.

The Gonon brothers' wines have become real objects of desire in recent years. And while they've become increasingly difficult to purchase here in the U.S. they’re well worth the hunt as well as the inevitably higher prices that they now command. Pierre Gonon told me in December that he considers 2013 to be "a classic vintage in style, with elegance and freshness emphasized," but he also thinks that the wines will be best enjoyed on the young side "while the fruit is strong." He's more confident in the ageworthiness of the 2012s and is particularly fond of "the silk and harmony of the tannins," which will allow the wines to age as well as to be enjoyed in their youth. Gonon opened a bottle of the 2005 Saint-Joseph at the end of our tasting and the wine is simply gorgeous, with intense red fruit and floral character and supple tannins that fade smoothly into the wine's fruit. If you have any, consider yourself fortunate. And you probably paid less than half what the '12 will be going for, to boot.

Like a number of his neighbors, Pierre Gonon compares the 2011 vintage with 2006, but he says that "the wines acted more like the 2007s at first, with a lot of fruit but seemingly a lack of structure." That has changed since the wines went into bottle, he went on, and "they actually look like they'll be good to hold onto through about their tenth birthday because tannins have come out that we didn't expect." The Gonon brothers' wines are built to reward patience, regardless of vintage, as recent bottles of the 2005, 2006 and 2007 have proven recently here in New York. Gonon pulled out a couple of even older wines to have a look at their progress and both were showing extremely well: a 2003 Saint-Joseph conveyed the depth and power of that hot vintage but betrayed no roasted character or alcoholic burn. Its tannins seem to be fully absorbed and I'd opt for drinking it over the next few years. The 1996 Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers displayed a wild array of honeyed orchard and pit fruit qualities, with almost shockingly fresh acidity providing lift and spine. It's aging at a snail's pace, much like a topnotch white Hermitage, and while it's delicious now it should continue to cruise along for years to come, assuming good storage.

The wines of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon continue to be a benchmark for the entire Saint-Joseph appellation. Spanning roughly 11 hectares of vineyards in Saint-Joseph and some Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche, all vines are farmed organically. Readers unfamiliar with this domaine might not know that apart from Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, the Gonons also vinify tiny amounts of Chasselas. “We took over these vineyards from Raymond Trollat in 2011,” Pierre Gonon explained. “The vines are planted in a very warm, well-exposed location, and until the 1980s, the grapes were actually sold as table grapes. At one point back in time, Raymond Trollat started to make two Chasselas-Marsanne blends, one from younger vines with a majority of Marsanne and another from older vines with more Chasselas. When handing both wines out for tasting, people generally preferred the latter. When we took over these vineyards, we opted to keep the vines and make a single-varietal Chasselas. Today, the vines are quite old, around 80 years on average, and yields are really small. In 2021, for example, we only made 600 bottles.” In that context, it was a privilege to taste the 2021 Chasselas, a delightful white with lifting energy and excellent freshness. When talking about the 2021 vintage in general, Pierre Gonon recalled, “The year started with a dry spring and a bit of frost in April. Then the rain came. Although there were some dry patches between the rains, the amount of water each time was just massive. There were periods in June where we received three times 20 millimeters - in a single week! As this meant a lot of moisture in the air, rot pressure was high throughout the year. Sorting needed to be rigorous and almost fully took place in the vineyards, which really slowed us down. In some plots, we literally gave up and cut everything down. It's the first time since my brother and I have been working together that we actually left behind completely unharvested grapes. What little did make the selection was harvested by the last week of September. I remember my brother and I eating soup with potted meat and mussels while outside, the heavy rains continued. We both were a bit down because we knew that we didn't bring in all the grapes when we knew there were still some outside. But it was over, and it was for the best that we stopped.” In 2021, roughly half of the grapes were destemmed, which is much more compared to 2022, when the Gonons worked with roughly 85% whole clusters during fermentation. In comparison to that, 100% of whole clusters were used in 2017 and 90% in 2020. Tasting the 2021s revealed that the rigorous sorting paid off, with both the white and red Saint-Joseph performing well. When asking Pierre Gonon whether there would be a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2021, he confirmed that they won't make it. I wouldn’t place the promising whites of 2022 above those from 2021. The reds in 2022 clearly have the edge. That being said, Pierre Gonon was not yet sure at the time of our meeting whether they would bottle a Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes in 2022. While tasting through the wines with Pierre Gonon, his brother Jean was busy dealing with UK visitors. The chemistry between the two brothers works well, prompting my interest in delving deeper into their collaboration. “We both work in the vineyard and cellar. But while my brother, Jean, really enjoys engaging with clients, I love to take care of everything cellar-related, everything that is solitary work, treatment and equipment. I also enjoy engaging in long-term projects, such as planting and construction. Every morning, my brother and I talk before our teams arrive. We discuss what we're going to do, how we do this, how we do that. Once we've decided on something, we don't need to talk anymore; we look at each other, and there’s an understanding.” Overall exports of the Gonon wines remain at roughly 50%, with the UK taking the lion's share, followed by the US.

Like a number of his neighbors, Pierre Gonon compares the 2011 vintage with 2006, but he says that "the wines acted more like the 2007s at first, with a lot of fruit but seemingly a lack of structure."That has changed since the wines went into bottle, he went on, and "they actually look like they'll be good to hold onto through about their tenth birthday because tannins have come out that we didn't expect."The Gonon brothers' wines are built to reward patience, regardless of vintage, as recent bottles of the 2005, 2006 and 2007 have proven recently here in New York. Gonon pulled out a couple of even older wines to have a look at their progress and both were showing extremely well:a 2003 Saint-Joseph conveyed the depth and power of that hot vintage but betrayed no roasted character or alcoholic burn.Its tannins seem to be fully absorbed and I'd opt for drinking it over the next few years.The 1996 Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers displayed a wild array of honeyed orchard and pit fruit qualities, with almost shockingly fresh acidity providing lift and spine.It's aging at a snail's pace, much like a topnotch white Hermitage, and while it's delicious now it should continue to cruise along for years to come, assuming good storage.

According to Pierre Gonon, "the white wines in 2011 have good richness and structure, and are actually a bit like the 2005s.They're lighter and brighter than the 2010s, with more delicacy and feminine character."He calls 2010 for red wines "a trong, intensely mineral vintage that combines power and energy.It operates at both the high and the low end of the scale in flavor."The Gonon brothers, who use a lot of whole clusters, often as high as 100%, prefer to bottle their wines after roughly 12 months in barrels, followed by a rest of up to 3 months in tanks "for better harmony."Pierre said that he thinks that the 2009s are starting to look a bit like the 2003s in terms of richness "but with more brightness and red fruit and no roasted character, which is the potential weak spot of '03."We talked a bit about the geology of the southern sector of Saint-Joseph and Gonon said that the soil of their hillside vineyard in Tournon, which they rent from the legendary Raymond Trollat, "is a softer granite and gives more elegance than the denser soils of Mauves, which provides structure."At the end of our tasting we tried Gonon's 2008 and 2009 Saint-Josephs, which were a study in contrasts, with the older wine showing appealing aromatic complexity and bright red fruit character and the 2009 offering far more depth but even more vivacity.I'd drink the '08 over the next five years or so and wait at least that long before digging into my '09s.(Chambers St. Wines, www.chambersstwines.com; Joli Vin, www.jolivin.com; Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, www.kermitlynch.com)

Pulling my car into the driveway of brothers Jean and Pierre Gonon means I’ve arrived. Gonon is what Saint-Joseph is all about: elegance, classicism and a level of terroir-driven transparency that is hard to beat. The 2022 red is stunning, firmly placing itself at the top of the appellation's quality pyramid. It’s always a rare treat to taste their Chasselas, a wine that’s virtually impossible to find on the market because of its tiny production—often fewer than 1,000 bottles. Jean Gonon reported healthy yields of 38 hl/ha for the 2023 reds, noting that during the August heatwave, sugar ripening stalled at times, but phenolic ripeness continued. This progression helped the tannins achieve full maturity by harvest. The next generation of Gonons is also beginning to contribute, with Pierre’s son Louis joining the domaine just a week before my November visit. To finish our tasting, Jean Gonon poured a wine blind, which yours truly nailed on the first attempt—the magnificent 2010, now entering its prime drinking window.

According to Pierre Gonon, "the white wines in 2011 have good richness and structure, and are actually a bit like the 2005s. They're lighter and brighter than the 2010s, with more delicacy and feminine character." He calls 2010 for red wines "a trong, intensely mineral vintage that combines power and energy. It operates at both the high and the low end of the scale in flavor." The Gonon brothers, who use a lot of whole clusters, often as high as 100%, prefer to bottle their wines after roughly 12 months in barrels, followed by a rest of up to 3 months in tanks "for better harmony." Pierre said that he thinks that the 2009s are starting to look a bit like the 2003s in terms of richness "but with more brightness and red fruit and no roasted character, which is the potential weak spot of '03." We talked a bit about the geology of the southern sector of Saint-Joseph and Gonon said that the soil of their hillside vineyard in Tournon, which they rent from the legendary Raymond Trollat, "is a softer granite and gives more elegance than the denser soils of Mauves, which provides structure." At the end of our tasting we tried Gonon's 2008 and 2009 Saint-Josephs, which were a study in contrasts, with the older wine showing appealing aromatic complexity and bright red fruit character and the 2009 offering far more depth but even more vivacity. I'd drink the '08 over the next five years or so and wait at least that long before digging into my '09s. (Chambers St. Wines, www.chambersstwines.com; Joli Vin, www.jolivin.com; Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, www.kermitlynch.com)

As I was checking out an extremely ancient-looking upright cask in this chilly cellar Pierre Gonon pulled out a flashlight and showed me the date of its manufacture, which had been carved into a horizontal bracing plank: 1802. The Gonons purchased it from Guigal when the Grippat estate was being broken up and they still use it. "We're Ardechois, not Bordelais," Pierre cracked, "so we never throw anything away and we use everything until it's broken, maybe even after that!" As usual, I found some of the purest expressions of syrah of my annual Rhone trip in this cellar, with the 2009 vintage offering a bit more richness than I usually expect here. "That's the vintage, which has made a very strong mark," Pierre noted. Gonon showed me a number of samples from 2011 that had finishesd their malos and it looks to be a superb vintage in the making, by the way. The Gonons' wines all age extremely well, as evidenced by some older whites and a red that I tasted at the end of my visit with Pierre. The 2003 rouge is shockingly fresh, not just for an eight-year-old wine, but for one from one of the hottest vintages on record. It's still on a slow aging curve and, to my taste, at least five years away from reaching its window of maturity. As for the blanc, the '07 is rich and fleshy but has a solid spine of minerality that sharpens and lifts it on the back end. The surprisingly pleasant 2002, from what Gonon called "the most difficult vintage ever" here, is fully mature, with good depth, a honeyed, nutty character and suggestions of orange pith and tarragon. Assuming you have any, it's time to drink up. (Chambers St. Wines, www.chambersstwines.com; Joli Vin Imports, www.jolivin.com; Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, www.kermitlynch.com)

As I was checking out an extremely ancient-looking upright cask in this chilly cellar Pierre Gonon pulled out a flashlight and showed me the date of its manufacture, which had been carved into a horizontal bracing plank: 1802. The Gonons purchased it from Guigal when the Grippat estate was being broken up and they still use it. "We're Ardechois, not Bordelais," Pierre cracked, "so we never throw anything away and we use everything until it's broken, maybe even after that!" As usual, I found some of the purest expressions of syrah of my annual Rhone trip in this cellar, with the 2009 vintage offering a bit more richness than I usually expect here. "That's the vintage, which has made a very strong mark," Pierre noted. Gonon showed me a number of samples from 2011 that had finishesd their malos and it looks to be a superb vintage in the making, by the way. The Gonons' wines all age extremely well, as evidenced by some older whites and a red that I tasted at the end of my visit with Pierre. The 2003 rouge is shockingly fresh, not just for an eight-year-old wine, but for one from one of the hottest vintages on record. It's still on a slow aging curve and, to my taste, at least five years away from reaching its window of maturity. As for the blanc, the '07 is rich and fleshy but has a solid spine of minerality that sharpens and lifts it on the back end. The surprisingly pleasant 2002, from what Gonon called "the most difficult vintage ever" here, is fully mature, with good depth, a honeyed, nutty character and suggestions of orange pith and tarragon. Assuming you have any, it's time to drink up. (Chambers St. Wines, www.chambersstwines.com; Joli Vin Imports, www.jolivin.com; Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, www.kermitlynch.com)

Jean Gonon told me that 2009 is a vintage that shows "great up-front fruit and then the minerality kicks in. There's a lot of black fruit, as with 2005, but there's an attractive element of finesse to the wine, especially to the tannins." Two thousand eight, he went on, "was a nightmare in terms of work and selection. After crop-thinning and selection after harvest the yield was almost nothing; the quality has surprised us but from a business standpoint it was a joke." Gonon emphasized that "white Saint-Joseph can improve with age just as well as the red, maybe even more so based on older bottles from Raymond Trollat [whose vines the Gonons now work] that we've drunk over the years." I recently had a bottle of 1990 Trollat Saint-Joseph blanc that I bought in 1992 and it was gorgeous, showing no signs of giving up the ghost and acting like a wine that was ten years younger. (Fruit of the Vines, New York, NY; Joli Vin, Berkeley, CA; Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA):

Jean Gonon told me that 2009 is a vintage that shows "great up-front fruit and then the minerality kicks in. There's a lot of black fruit, as with 2005, but there's an attractive element of finesse to the wine, especially to the tannins." Two thousand eight, he went on, "was a nightmare in terms of work and selection. After crop-thinning and selection after harvest the yield was almost nothing; the quality has surprised us but from a business standpoint it was a joke." Gonon emphasized that "white Saint-Joseph can improve with age just as well as the red, maybe even more so based on older bottles from Raymond Trollat [whose vines the Gonons now work] that we've drunk over the years." I recently had a bottle of 1990 Trollat Saint-Joseph blanc that I bought in 1992 and it was gorgeous, showing no signs of giving up the ghost and acting like a wine that was ten years younger. (Fruit of the Vines, New York, NY; Joli Vin, Berkeley, CA; Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA):

?The Gonon brothers, Pierre and Jean, took over the family's nine-hectare estate when their father Pierre fell ill and have established themselves as one of the leading producers in Saint-Joseph.? Jean told me that his family is fortunate to have syrah vines that are from 45 to 90 years of age and especially to have 2.5 hectares in Saint Jean de Muzols that belonged to Raymond Trollat before he retired.? The rest of Gonon's vines lie in Tournon and their hometown of Mauves.? Long-time Rhone lovers know that Trollat made some of the best wines of the entire RhoneValley in the 1980s and 1990s and the Gonon style cleaves closely to Trollat's traditional expression of syrah.? Whole clusters are used here ("except in a year like 2008, where the stems didn't ripen and we had to de-stem everything") and new oak is kept to the bare minimum.? The Gonons use demi-muids and foudres for their wines "to get the maximum expression of the wine" and crop their syrah vines at a very low 30 hectoliters per hectare, which Jean says "isn't that hard with our steep sites and old vines."? The plowing here is done with a horse and no chemicals are used in the vineyards, with all fertilizing done with their own compost.?

?The Gonon brothers, Pierre and Jean, took over the family's nine-hectare estate when their father Pierre fell ill and have established themselves as one of the leading producers in Saint-Joseph.? Jean told me that his family is fortunate to have syrah vines that are from 45 to 90 years of age and especially to have 2.5 hectares in Saint Jean de Muzols that belonged to Raymond Trollat before he retired.? The rest of Gonon's vines lie in Tournon and their hometown of Mauves.? Long-time Rhone lovers know that Trollat made some of the best wines of the entire RhoneValley in the 1980s and 1990s and the Gonon style cleaves closely to Trollat's traditional expression of syrah.? Whole clusters are used here ("except in a year like 2008, where the stems didn't ripen and we had to de-stem everything") and new oak is kept to the bare minimum.? The Gonons use demi-muids and foudres for their wines "to get the maximum expression of the wine" and crop their syrah vines at a very low 30 hectoliters per hectare, which Jean says "isn't that hard with our steep sites and old vines."? The plowing here is done with a horse and no chemicals are used in the vineyards, with all fertilizing done with their own compost.?