2015 Domaine Pierre Gonon Les Iles Feray Ardèche
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Tasting notes
Opaque ruby. Pungent, deep-pitched black and blue fruit aromas are complicated by licorice, black pepper and violet accents. Sappy and focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet blackberry and blueberry flavors that become spicier with air. Closes chewy, focused and very long, displaying a building floral quality and dusty tannins that add firming grip.
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Josh Raynolds
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Gonon’s 2015 VdP de l'Ardeche Les Iles Feray Syrah is serious juice. From the violets and black cherries on the nose to the ample weight and concentration on the palate and mouthwatering, tannic finish, this wine overdelivers.
(made with 20 percent whole clusters and no new oak) Bright violet. Blackberry, cherry compote and licorice aromas are energized by a suggestion of black pepper. Sappy and focused on the palate, offering gently sweet, mineral-laced dark berry flavors and a touch of star anise. Aeration brings vivacity and spiciness to the nicely persistent finish, which is firmed by tangy acidity and youthfully chewy tannins. Virtually all of this fruit, sourced from vines within the Saint-Joseph appellation, is now a massal selection from the Gonon estate’s vines.
Vivid purple. Spicy dark berries, pungent flowers, olive and smoked meat on the highly fragrant nose and in the mouth. Supple and open-knit, gaining back-end lift from peppery spice and mineral elements. Finishes juicy and precise, offering strong cling, soft tannins and an emphatic echo of ripe black and blue fruit. Quite serious for its (on paper) humble origin.