Rhône Valley - North

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Pierre Gonon
Saint Joseph



Background

The appellation of Saint Joseph has certainly had some challenges since the time of its inception in 1956, when it was launched from vineyards surrounding 6 villages in what is now known as the southern sector. Thirteen years later it was dramatically enlarged, bringing much indifferent production under its name. Thankfully, that trend was reversed when in an effort to repair the damage, the INAO began a multiyear project to declassify questionable vineyards to vin de pays status.

One name, however, a mainstay in the town of Mauves for many years prior to the creation of this appellation is that of Pierre Gonon. The name is embedded into the history of this sector and can be found throughout the record books as one turns back the pages to learn of the important lieu-dit (named parcels) of the villages and the names of those who farmed them.

Pierre Gonon, founder of the domaine, was far sighted in his commitment and planted in the best plots and exposures soon after the appellation was born. Today, sons Jean & Pierre, now in full command of the winery and thanks to their father, have some impressive older vines on the most revered sites in the appellation. Uninterested in the current trend toward single vineyard bottlings at the expense of the “entry level” cuvées, the Gonon brothers uphold the best virtues of the appellation system and draw from all of their historic parcels, each lending a distinct character to craft only a single red Saint Joseph cuvée.Jean and Pierre Gonon work 5.5 acres of Syrah, at Tournon, Mauves and old vines from the legendary Raymond Trollat at St Jean de Muzols. This is the original St Joseph area and certainly contains the best terroir. They pick as late as possible and ferment with wild yeasts. Pigeage is mostly by foot. Aging is 13 to 15 months in 600 litre casks and one old foudre; no new oak.

This has to be one of the most under the radar wine producers in France. The wines are so good you won't believe it. Gonon is to Saint Joseph what Clape or Allemand is to Cornas and Chave is to Hermitage - simple as that.

Wine

One could describe the 2006 vintage as "classic" for the appellation Saint Joseph. The red wines are a little less concentrated than the 2005's which now appear closed. 2006 at Gonon has more immediate fruit and more charm, finishing fresh with firm tannins, which is an indication of their traditional vinification with a high percentage of whole bunches. If you want to enjoy the St. Joseph young then it would be best to decant it and enjoy it’s youthful fruit until next autumn - then wait 3 to 4 years to enjoy their mature aromas, although the wine will improve with cellaring for many more years than that. Drink the Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche now and over the next two years and enjoy it’s vibrancy, clarity and freshness.

Thierry Allemand
Cornas



Background

In the days when the Rhone was in the same sort of trouble that much of the Languedoc is now, Cornas was the most vulnerable AOC. Cornas is rugged, scrubby, exposed, extreme vine country and it takes guts, determination and bloody mindedness to survive here, let alone prosper. With no family vineyards Thierry started out with just a half acre of his own. Most of that half acre had no vines and needed clearing as well as planting. During the eighties and early nineties his desire to learn on the job and do it the hard way meant a ten year period with just one week`s holiday! But now he is a legend...

1992 was the year he turned things around and his wines have improved every year to the piont where he is now considered without argument as one of the greatest wine producers in the Rhone Valley and a global reference point of Syrah. Thierry's wines are also insider wines - I suspect most of them are consumed by the wine trade - his wines produced naturally in the same way and with equal precision as Domaine Gramenon, Philippe Pacalet or Jean Foillard and similarly just a small dose of sulphur is added to his wines at bottling to stabilise the wine. Thierry has perfected his winemaking into an art.

These days he farms 5 hectares, has a lovely new winery and produces his two stunning Cornas from mature and old vines in the greatest terroirs of the appellation; only Clape has similar quality holdings. Chaillots is an assemblage of vines younger than 40 years old and is generally the more approachable wine in it's youth. Reynards is the cuvee made from vines over 40 years old and is full of old vine intensity and depth. Both are sensational.

To give you some idea of the commitment to quality chez Allemand; at harvest in 2008 he employed 15 staff who did 1000 hours of work on his 5 hectares!

Our allocations are small as world demand for these wines is crazy but regardless - we are more than delighted to have Thierry Allemand in our portfolio.

Rhône Valley - South