Joli Vin imports

Domaine Pierre Gonon - Saint Joseph

“The benchmark Saint Joseph domaine.”
John Livingstone-Learmonth - Author “The Wines of the Northern Rhône”

The appellation of Saint Joseph has certainly had 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, in the southern town of Mauves for many years prior to the creation of this appellation is that of Pierre Gonon. In fact, Pierre Gonon, founder of the domaine that still bears his name even though sons Jean & Pierre are now in full command of the winery, sat on the council which drew the original lines creating the appellation. He planted, by massale selection, many of the vines which today are still bearing the fruit used in their production. Pierre was also far sighted in his commitment to white wine and planted Marsanne in 1958, soon after the appellation was born. Today, thanks to dad, the domaine has some impressive older vines on the most revered site for white wine in the appellation, Les Oliviers. In total, there are 7 hectares planted to Syrah and 2 to Marsanne/Roussanne.

The soils are fertilized only with their own composts and plowed for aeration. Only natural treatments are used in the vineyard, including sulphur to treat odium and plant extracts and tisanes to treat pests. Yield are kept very low by short pruning and green harvesting in July, resulting in yields of 30 hl/ha for the reds and 38 hl/ha for the whites. Grapes are harvested by hand (anything else is impossible on these steep slopes) and fermentations take place in the presence of naturally occurring yeast.

Although they profit from many old vine parcels which surround the historic center of this appellation, the Gonon brothers are uninterested in the current trend toward single vineyard bottlings at the expense of the “entry level” cuvées. Rather, they choose to draw from all of their historic parcels, each lending a distinct character to craft only a single white and a single red Saint Joseph cuvée and uphold the best virtues of the appellation system for which it was created, with the intent to promote the entire appellation.

A look upon or a drive through these steep vineyards immediately humbles the viewer: the work is physically challenging with little or no possibility of any tractor navigating these slopes and so much is done by hand, vine by vine, 9 hectares in all. Unadulterated, unfiltered, respectfully and traditionally made. It remains nothing short of a pleasure and an honor to represent the hard working Gonon brothers and their unmistakable reference wines for this historic appellation.