Opened as part of a 2-day tasting with Alex Macdonald while he was in town. Day two was a small group of us with killer wines (2010 Chave Hermitage, mag of ‘02 Krug, Selosse Substance, 1996 Latour, 2003 Mouton, 1992 Dominus).
Quick one hour double decant to prep this beauty. While La Mouline is my favorite, La Turque still incorporates the co-ferment with Viognier. 93 Syrah/7 Viognier.
Beautiful translucent ruby in the glass. As I get with certain Cote Rotie wines (especially Guigal), barbecue and bacon fat can be overwhelming when young, but this has channeled a really balanced profile. Aromatic notes of smoked meat, cherry liqueur, and espresso. Beautifully rich yet elegant on the palate. Great nerve of acidity with a finish sporting plenty of tannin to carry this a while. Black peppered raspberries, black fruit on the palate with a little bacon and a hint of sweet/tangy barbecue sauce note (delicious). Enjoy now with a short decant or hold another 5yrs. — 10 months ago
Taken to Selby's in Redwood City. Medium gold color. Heavy in the glass. Killer nose with notes of apricot, petrol, citrus, wet river stone and lots of tan spice. Palate staining in the mouth with a ton of acidity that is balanced against the rich fruit. Can't believe this is a Village wine. — 2 years ago
From the younger vines Chaillot, which really, at the right time, can be equally as fabulous as Reynard in its own way, is brilliant tonight at age 10, entering the cusp of early maturity. Showing even better than the 13 Reynard I had just a month back, it captivates with distinctive Allemand aromas and a deep fruited profile, both black and red with olive tapenade, fresh violets and Provençal herbs along with its signature liquid rock minerality. The palate is pure velvet with killer concentration, caressing with each sip before giving way to lengthy, vibrant and mineral inflicted finish with silky smooth tannins. Damn I love these wines and 2012 Chaillot was particularly delicious tonight. 🙌🏻 — 2 years ago
Whoa! A killer wine for a school night...Michel Rolland has another winner here. Definitely needs a little time to open up - a little spicy, super nice ripe fruit, licorice... almost surprising that it’s a merlot. Enjoyed in June 2020. Actually worked well with chicken fried steak, mash potatoes and gravy. — 4 years ago
94-95
My first Gonon StJo…unfortunately, I loved it. Wish these were easier to find at good prices!
At 8yrs, this was so perfumed out of the glass. At 90% whole cluster, it shows typical green/stemmy aromatics but it’s not the dominant note, trending toward green peppercorns, violets/potpurri, olive, and black cherries. Mineral notes, pepper, mix of red and black fruits, mocha, and so much verve on the palate, absolutely buzzing both days. This wine is floral and herbal but with so much power and balanced fruit…kind of a wild-ness to it that I loved. What a beautiful expression of Syrah. Killer.
Day two showed the whole cluster aromatics fade a bit, but it also showed the palate bulk up. So good. — 4 months ago
The 2010’s are gonna be straight fire, if this is any indication. Killer QPR — 4 years ago
CnA
Very good! We both love it! — 20 days ago