Domaine Bernard Gripa is located in the small town of Mauves, well-known as the cradle of Saint-Joseph appellation.
On the steep granite slopes surrounding the village, Bernard and his son Fabrice take meticulous care of the 12 ha of vines including some old vines in the nearby appellation of Saint-Péray.
The plots are all located in a 3-kilometre stretch and the soils are ploughed manually (weed killer in the steepest slopes).
Depending on the vintage the grapes are partially destemmed before fermentation in concrete tanks, ageing takes place in demi-muids and old barrels for both red and white wines.
Wines crafted there are fresh, racy, revealing the expression of this exceptional granitic terroir.
The Saint-Péray is among the best wines of the area with a mineral and zesty profile.
The village of Mauves is central to Saint-Joseph and it is here that many of the best producers have their cellars. Fabrice Gripa, with vines in Saint-Peray as well as Saint-Joseph, is certainly one of them, working in the village alongside other eminent residents of the town such as Gonon, Chave and Coursodon.
Talented Fabrice, the current generation to continue the family’s heritage, returned home after some time spent in Australia’s Margaret River, and he works alongside his father.
They own 16 hectares of vines in two appellations – 12.5 hectares in Saint-Joseph and 3.5 in Saint-Péray – making four bottlings of the former, two red and two white, and two of the latter, both white.
In Saint-Joseph the top cuvée is Le Berceau, comprising a white made from 100% Marsanne, and a wholly syrah red, both from their oldest vines and both long-lived. In Saint-Peray, a purely white-wine appellation, a similar hierarchy exists for the two wines made from Marsanne and Roussanne, with the top cuvée represented by Les Figuiers, again made with the fruit of the oldest vines.
Oak vats of various sizes are used judiciously for maturing the wines.
5 Avenue Ozier
07300 Mauves
France
Phone +33 4 75 0814 96
