2009 Domaine Pierre Gonon Saint Joseph “Les Oliviers”
We received this thrilling bottle of 2009 Domaine Pierre Gonon Saint Joseph “Les Oliviers” from Hegui’s colleague and our friend, Marion, after she stayed with us for a few nights. It was part of a “thank you” gift. Well, thank you, Marion! This white Rhône was a real treat. We liked it much more than the 2009 Domaine de la Becassone, if you can believe that.
The wine was transparent golden yellow with a nose of peach, melon, straw and tropical fruit. It is full bodied and feels creamy on the tongue without any hint of butter—sort of a chardonnay-like texture without being chardonnay-ish at all. It was loaded with mineraly, tropical fruit notes and honeysuckle. The finish was wonderfully long.
It is a blend of 80% marsanne and 20% roussanne. This is an amazing wine well worth seeking out.
I’ve read that 2009 was a great year for wines from the Rhône. Thus far, I think that the professionals are right.