The $35 Rival to Pierre Gonon
2019 Etienne Becheras Cuvee Tour Joviac Saint-Joseph
You can pay $160 for Pierre Gonon, or you can pay $35 for this. The secret is out on the Northern Rhône. Prices for traditionalist legends like Gonon, Chave, and Jamet have skyrocketed, leaving most lovers of classic Syrah priced out of the market. Enter Etienne Becheras. Becheras is one of the las…
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Massive Value: comparable in style to Pierre Gonon ($160+) but available for $35.
Flagship Bottling: Sourced from the estate's top parcels on rocky hillsides in Arras.
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Tasting notes
Aroma
A wild, "vigorous" nose of pink peppercorn, crushed granite, and dark plum. It opens with distinct savory notes of smoke and pencil lead.
Palate
Taut and muscular. The palate is defined by a "pink peppercorn streak" and deep black fruit, framed by "youthful and emphatic tannins". It finishes with a savory mineral grip that demands fatty foods like lamb shanks or cassoulet.
Red Wine Body Profile
Light
Bold
Body Profile
Deep
84/100 Intensity
Feather-light
Delicate
Lifted
Structured
Deep
Grapes
100% Syrah
ABV
14.0%
Serving
50–55°F
Window
2025–2045
Product Description
Organic, old-school Saint-Joseph from the steep granite of Arras.
You can pay $160 for Pierre Gonon, or you can pay $35 for this.
The secret is out on the Northern Rhône. Prices for traditionalist legends like Gonon, Chave, and Jamet have skyrocketed, leaving most lovers of classic Syrah priced out of the market. Enter Etienne Becheras.
Becheras is one of the last holdouts of the "old school" in Saint-Joseph. Based in the village of Arras—a rugged, cooler zone known for maintaining tension in the grapes—he farms his steep, terraced vineyards entirely by hand. He is a staunch traditionalist: no chemical inputs, only indigenous yeasts, and a long 18-to-24-month élevage in neutral barrels.
The 2019 Cuvée Tour Joviac is his flagship, sourced from his two best parcels of vines on the jagged hillsides. In the warm 2019 vintage, this wine achieves a rare balance, marrying the "plump and spicy fruit" of the solar year with the rustic, savory backbone that defines honest Syrah. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, preserving every ounce of its granitic soul. This is not a polished, modern wine; it is a wild, peppery throwback to the way Saint-Joseph tasted thirty years ago.
