A nice group gathered last night at Riverpark for a Gononathon (with a few others wines as well). I watched the US-Belgium game on phone on way down o n train, then caught some of extended time with crowds outside bars as I wa lked to Riverpark. Oh well, good run. Got to restaurant and was greeted wit h the 2009 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey "Vide Bourse" Chassagne-Montrachet 1er. Good acids for 2009, plenty of rich pear and tropical fruit, but big overla y of oak and a bit'o'brimstone. I liked, but needs air or time (Suzanne the n had it decanted to revisit with cheese, but I didn't retaste). B/B- for n ow, much upside potential
We started with some bar food (fried chicken and paeilla balls), then Ross and I shared a whole roasted guinea fowl, with morels, chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, gno cchi, and braised lambsquarters. Quite good.
On to the Rhone ( and eventually Loire)
2012 Gonon Iles de Feray Red-fruited, bright, a little bacon, easy drinking. B/B+
2012 Gonon St. Joseph Smoky, meaty, structured, great potential if a bit dense now. B+/A-
2012 Vallin Syrah Sans Soufre (Santa Ynez) Fruity, fresh, floral, lots of that no-sulphur grapiness, changes with air to a tart cranberry that I wouldn't recognize as Syrah, very interesting. B
2011 Gonon Iles de Feray Bright acids, red fruits, pepper. B/B+
2011 Gonon St. Joseph Herbs and olives, structured, full, ripe. B+
2010 Gonon St. Joseph Ripe, blackberries, fairly expressive at first then seems to tighten up sha rply. Give time or air. B+
2010 Faury St. Joseph Peppery, black fruits, a big note of garrigue/mountain brush that I quite l iked, quite different from the Gonon but equally enjoyable. B+/A-
2008 Gonon St. Joseph Soft, a light stewy note, a bit clipped, suspected of possibly seeing a bit of heat.
2007 Gonon St. Joseph Complex, full, long, edges the Faury for my Syrah of the night. A-
2005 Gonon St. Joseph This was different. I immediately thought it showed Cabernet notes, and the n Faryan said was Bordeaux-like. Cassis and tobacco, a tad subdued. Some th ought corked, I never found the TCA (though I had tail end of a cold, so ma ybe). B?
2003 Clos Rougeard "Les Poyeux" Saumur-Champigny Ripe and rich but without excess 2003ness, complete, delicious, plenty left here. A-
2000 Clos Rougeard "Les Poyeux" Saumur-Champigny I think table preference was for the 2003, but this really did it for me in a more lithe frame- elegant, complex, delicious. Pretty ready to go. A-
Fun night, good people,
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.