Joli Vin imports

Domaine Pierre Gonon - Saint Joseph

“The benchmark Saint Joseph domaine.”
John Livingstone-Learmonth

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 to white wine and planted Marsanne in 1958, soon after the appellation was born. Today, sons Jean & Pierre, now in full command of the winery, thanks to dad, have some impressive older vines on the most revered site for white wine in the appellation, Les Oliviers. 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 white and a single red Saint Joseph cuvée.

A recent drive through the vineyards and hillsides with Jean Gonon reveals a newfound respect for the physically challenging work that takes place on these steep hillsides. With no possibility of any tractor working these slopes due to the extreme inclines, all work is done by hand, vine by vine. 9 ha in all, divided between Syrah, Marsanne & Roussanne from the 3 historic villages of Tournon, St. Jean de Muzols and Mauves. Syrah…from its birthing place high above the Rhône River on granitic inflected slopes, dizzying just to look upon. Unadulterated, unfiltered, respectfully and traditionally made. It remains nothing short of a pleasure and an honor to work with the hard working Gonon brothers and their unmistakable reference wines for this historic appellation.