A 75cl bottle of Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph 2016; label and capsule in excellent condition. Estate-bottled. Shipped via UPS. 95/100 Robert Parker About the estate Domaine Pierre Gonon, located in Mauves (Ardèche), is an 11-hectare family estate within the Saint-Joseph AOC. The Gonon brothers represent the fourth generation and have become a benchmark producer in the Saint-Joseph appellation. In the early 20th century, Pierre Gonon—a farmer practicing mixed agriculture—cultivated vines alongside other fruits and vegetables. As his son Emile did not wish to take over the estate, the vineyards gradually fell into decline; however, in the 1950s, his descendant Pierre Gonon—then only 15 years old—decided to dedicate himself to viticulture. He replanted, cultivated, and vinified wines that he initially sold to merchant houses (the first estate bottling took place in the 1960s—a significant event at the time). From 1988 onwards, Pierre’s children, Pierre and Jean, joined the family estate. Starting in 1990, they drastically altered their working methods, introducing soil cultivation, certification, and cover cropping; organic certification was achieved in 2010. Today, the estate ranks among the elite of the region and French viticulture as a whole. On the challenging terroirs of Mauves, they employ uncompromising vineyard management techniques: winch-assisted plowing, manual labor, the use of compost, and the elimination of pesticides and insecticides. In the cellar, the winemaking process is low-intervention, notably featuring limited sulfur levels—averaging 40 mg/L of total SO2 for both whites and reds. The estate prioritizes freshness over over-ripeness, producing exceptional, refined reds and perfectly balanced whites with rich aromatic profiles. It is worth noting that, unfortunately, very little wine is available for purchase at the estate itself—such is the immense renown of Domaine Gonon. About the cuvée The Saint-Joseph Rouge is produced from vines planted across the estate's three main terroirs. The first—featuring red clay soils scattered with pebbles—is located at the "Les Oliviers" site (which is also home to the vines for the estate's Saint-Joseph Blanc). The second, which makes up the bulk of the blend, consists of several plots situated right next to the appellation's finest terroir (the "Saint-Joseph" site itself, from which the appellation takes its name), characterized by highly granitic soils. Finally, the third terroir—located in the commune of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, further north (whereas the first two are near the village of Tournon)—boasts the estate's oldest vines, growing in gneiss soil. At harvest time, the grapes undergo meticulous sorting in the vineyard and are transported to the winery in small crates to ensure they remain intact. The red grapes are partially destemmed (about 25%) and fermented using indigenous yeasts in either wooden or concrete vats, while the whites are vinified entirely in wood. The Gonon brothers do not seek heavy extraction for their reds, limiting themselves to occasional *pigeage* (punching down the cap) and *remontage* (pumping over). The wine is then aged for around ten months in used 600-liter *demi-muids* before the various lots and parcels are blended together shortly before the following vintage's harvest. Bottling of the reds takes place during the winter. On the palate, the wine reveals itself to be smooth and complex, offering fruity, floral, smoky, and spicy notes. Its impressive breadth, fine balance, and elegant tannic structure make this wine a true regional standout.