Pierre Gonon Les Iles Feray, Ardeche, France

皮埃爾戈農(nóng)酒莊費雷島紅葡萄酒

點擊次數(shù)：2554

The 2020 VdP de l'Ardeche Les Iles Feray Syrah was still in barrel at the time of my visit, but Jean Gonon put together a representative blend for me to taste. As usual, it's a wonderfully aromatic expression of Syrah, floral and bursting with raspberries and cherries. Medium-bodied and silky in feel, with a long finish. It may lack a bit of richness but comes across as charming, elegant and fun to drink.

While still floral and pretty on the nose, the 2019 VdP de l'Ardeche Les Iles Feray Syrah is a bigger, more tannic wine than usual, with notes of black cherries. It's almost more Saint Joseph than a lithe charmer, being medium to full-bodied, plump and fleshy, with a long, lingering finish.

The 2018 VdP de l'Ardeche Les Iles Feray Syrah comes mostly from the base of the slopes that form Saint-Joseph, but it also includes some young vines from within that appellation's boundaries. Yields are a bit higher, and a portion was destemmed. It's still remarkable, featuring mixed berries and olives in a medium to full-bodied swirl of mind-bending complexity that just misses the extra intensity, structure and length of the Saint Josephs at this address.

The 2017 VdP de l'Ardeche Les Iles Feray Syrah easily mixes herbal overtones with blueberries and olives. It's medium to full-bodied, maybe not quite as fleshy or silky as the 2018 but vibrant and delicious. It even adds hints of licorice on the mouthwatering finish.

Gonon made his 2016 VdP de l'Ardeche Les Iles Feray Syrah from vines that lie within the Saint-Joseph appellation, but he doesn’t consider them true Saint-Joseph, as they grow on flat, fertile land. Made with 20% whole clusters, the wine offers complex, stemmy and cherry aromas, medium body and modest tannin. It’s a ripe, juicy, succulent wine to drink over the next 4-5 years.