Saint-Joseph Le Berceau Bernard Gripa (Domaine) 2011

In the heart of the Saint-Joseph appellation, in Mauves to be precise, Bernard Gripa and his son Fabrice are making exceptional, rare wines from this appellation, as well as from the neighbouring Saint-Péray. Father and son favour manual, carefully-tended viticulture. Their white wines are sought-after for their exceptional texture, pleasant bitterness and rich aromas. The reds are rounded, dense and, notably, have a perfect balance and lovely freshness on the palate.

This powerful Saint-Joseph combines soft tannins, delicious red fruit and peppery notes, and a beautiful mineral quality. To make it, the berries are harvested by hand and 70% de-stemmed. Next they are fermented in open tanks and the cap is punched down and pumped over twice a day, two or three times a week (to extract as much content, colour and flavour as possible). After this, the wine is matured in 228-litre oak barrels for one year.