Domaine Pierre Gonon
Overview
Domaine Pierre Gonon is the benchmark producer of Saint-Joseph, based in the village of Mauves — the heart of the original Saint-Joseph appellation and one of its finest terroirs. The Gonon family made a historic acquisition in 2004–2005 when they purchased the vineyards of the legendary Raymond Trollat, the retiring saint of Saint-Joseph who had farmed his old vines since the 1940s. The Gonon family now farms some of the oldest Syrah vines in the entire appellation. Gilman places Gonon at the top of the appellation hierarchy.
Appellations
Key Wines
- Saint-Joseph Rouge — estate bottling from old vines in Mauves and surroundings
- Saint-Joseph Rouge Vieilles Vignes — made in early vintages following the Trollat acquisition; the former Trollat parcels (very old vines)
Style Notes
Gonon’s Saint-Joseph is the benchmark for the appellation: granite minerality, pure dark fruit, superb soil transparency, and the ability to age 20–30+ years — unusual for Saint-Joseph. The wines are made with minimal intervention, reflecting the extraordinary old-vine terroir from the steep granite hillsides of Mauves. The Trollat vineyard acquisition has added another dimension of old-vine complexity. Gilman’s 2006 Gonon tasting note underscores the plateau-of-maturity quality: “velvety, with a very elegant profile.”
Tasting Notes (from VFTC #119)
- 2006 Saint-Joseph (regular bottling): Rated 95. “At its apogee of peak maturity and is absolutely singing today.” Deep, complex, velvety. “Still has decades of life ahead.” Drinking window: 2025–2055+.
My Tastings
Producer Profile (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
An STGT domaine par excellence, and fantastic value and consistency. Production runs at 25,000 bottles in reduced vintages (2016, 2017) to 30,000-32,000 bottles normally. The Vieilles Vignes red, occasionally produced in small quantities (800 bottles, one cask), is exceptional; its last vintage was 2010.
Winemaking philosophy: The Gonon brothers, true countrymen taught by their father, make delightful wines of genuine pedigree. Sensible transfer of fruit from mature vineyards to the cellar, where methods are calm and watchful. Fermentations on the red Saint-Joseph are mostly whole bunch, and there is no new oak in sight.
Vineyard holdings: Vineyards at St Jean-de-Muzols (the oldest) and Tournon — none in their home village of Mauves.
White Saint-Joseph (Les Oliviers): A high-class example of Marsanne laced with a little Roussanne, from a top south-facing vineyard at Tournon close to the Mauves frontier. Rich and prolonged, great companion for butter-based cuisine, earthy mushroom dishes, paella, cheese. Both red and white evolve well over 20 years. JLL’s Les Oliviers blanc 2004, stored in underground cellar, was so good and still locked up that it required decanting in 2025.
IGP Ardeche Syrah (Les Iles Feray): From the plain, with a few young hillside St Jo Syrah. In the fluid vintage of 2021, it was a light-on-its-feet four-star wine.
Chasselas: From an old Raymond Trollat vineyard of a mere 0.1 hectare, a little gem gaining quality in recent years, guided by poor granite soils.
Market note: These wines became extremely fashionable in the 2010s, with prices rising considerably on the secondary market.
Location: 34 avenue Ozier, 07300 Mauves. Export: 1) USA, 2) Belgium/Norway, 4) GB. Only 25% exported.
Key Wines & Vintage Notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
Saint-Joseph Rouge
Mostly whole bunch fermentation, no new oak. Consistent ★★★★(★) across recent vintages.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | 2046-48 | Peppery, raspberry coulis, rose perfume, Burgundian, Pinot-like |
| 2023 | ★★★★–★★★★★ | 2044-46 | Inviting, sweet-toned blackberry coulis, refined, precision |
| 2022 | ★★★★(★) | 2042-46 | Sun rays, iron-mineral, expressive; multiple cask tastings |
| 2021 | ★★★★(★) | 2039-43 | Stylish cassis coulis, discreet iron; well turned |
| 2020 | ★★★★(★) | 2042-45 | Profound black fruits, firm and rich; needs decanting |
| 2019 | ★★★★(★)–★★★★★ | 2044-46 | Ripe, layered black fruits, mystery, leather; a big wine |
| 2018 | — | 2043-45 | Cassis de Dijon liqueur, creme de menthe; dark and concentrated |
Saint-Joseph Les Oliviers Blanc
100% Marsanne with a little Roussanne, from a top south-facing vineyard at Tournon.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | 2044-46 | Elegant, curved, dried fruits, very good freshness |
| 2023 | — | 2040-42 | Linden, wax, grated hazelnut; sealed, compact; needs time |
| 2021 | ★★★★★ / ★★★★(★) | 2037-44 | ”Bright and appealing… cool white fruits, nectarine, wild strawberry” |
| 2020 | — | 2041-43 | Great style, classy airborne features, brioche bread |
| 2019 | ★★★★(★) | 2039-44 | Quince paste, ripe peach, exotic meets classic Marsanne |
IGP Ardeche Syrah Les Iles Feray
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ★★★★ | 2032-33 | ”Light on its feet”; suave dark red fruit, blackcurrant coulis |
| 2020 | ★★★(★) | 2032-34 | Rather dense, macerated cherry |
| 2018 | — | 2035-37 | Coulis, stewed ripeness, mulberry, raspberry liqueur |
Chasselas Blanc
From an old Raymond Trollat vineyard of a mere 0.1 hectare. A little gem.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | 2031-32 | Table wax, honeysuckle, brioche, hazelnut |
| 2023 | — | 2029-30 | Peach, creme patisserie, caramel, table wax |
Vintage Context (from JLL vintage reports)
- 2020: Jean Gonon terms the vintage “refined, elegant — more so than the more concentrated 2019.” JLL: “this is high interest St Jo, with poise and local truth, holds sensuous promise with a serious underpinning.” See 2020 Rhone Vintage.
- 2021: The IGP Ardeche Syrah Les Iles Feray was “a light-on-its-feet four-star wine” in the fluid vintage of 2021. See 2021 Rhone Vintage.
2019 Saint-Joseph: Rouge four-to-five stars (“ripe, layered black fruits, mystery, leather; a big wine”). Les Oliviers blanc four-to-five stars (“quince paste, ripe peach, exotic meets classic Marsanne”). Saint-Joseph received about half the August rain of Hermitage (25mm vs 50mm), giving slightly denser wines. See 2019 Rhone Vintage.
2018 Saint-Joseph: Rouge: “cassis de Dijon liqueur, crème de menthe; dark and concentrated.” JLL notes that Saint-Joseph reds in 2018 are not easy-flow wines — the weight demands a couple of years to loosen. Some producers bottled too soon. Les Iles Feray IGP: “coulis, stewed ripeness, mulberry, raspberry liqueur.” See 2018 Rhone Vintage.
2014 Saint-Joseph: Jean Gonon on the year: “we laughed, we cried this year.” Spring was super and precocious, vines going by mid-March. Constant rain July-mid August, then a miraculous 4-week dry spell saved the vintage. 120mm of rain on September 19 forced rapid harvesting September 22-30. Lost crop to rot; yields 30 hl/ha white, 32 hl/ha Syrah. The reds came in at 12.2 degrees. “The reds are elegant, but you have to seek them out.” A very good vintage for granite-derived reds — winning precision and fresh length. See 2014 Rhone Vintage.
2013 Saint-Joseph: Les Oliviers five stars. An excellent year — the granite terroir shone through in cool conditions. See 2013 Rhone Vintage.
2010 Saint-Joseph: Fresh, free-flowing fruit. A vintage made for the Syrah at Crozes and Saint-Joseph — packed with drinkable, stimulating wines. See 2010 Rhone Vintage.
2009 Saint-Joseph: Vieilles Vignes five stars. The reds show well — extremely successful vintage for the Northern Rhône. See 2009 Rhone Vintage.
2005 Saint-Joseph: A wonderful Syrah year. Both northern and southern zones of the straggling Saint-Joseph appellation performed well. As the reds aged, they showed style and clarity, especially from the southern zones around Tournon. See 2005 Rhone Vintage.
Sources
sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC Sept-Oct 2025 #119.txt— Annual Rhône Report (John Gilman, October 2025)sources/articles/JLL/Pierre_Gonon.txtsources/articles/JLL/rhone_wines_data.json— Wine-by-wine vintage notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)sources/articles/JLL/rhone_vintage_reports.json— JLL vintage reports 2005-2024