Domaine Bernard Gripa
Le Berceau Saint-Joseph Syrah
St. Joseph, Northern Rhône, Rhône, France
A truly special site, the average age of the vines used for “Le Berceau” are 60+ but some are approaching a century old. Aging is a mixture of old and new barrique.
Opened prior to dinner; enjoyed over several hours. The 2013 pours a deep garnet/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with classic notes of Syrah: mixed, wild brambles and then it’s like opening up a European deli case: black pepper and Herbes de Provence encrusted salami, olive tapenade, lavender, crushed rock and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Beguiling stuff. Drink now through 2038.
A truly special site, the average age of the vines used for “Le Berceau” are 60+ but some are approaching a century old. Aging is a mixture of old and new barrique.
Opened prior to dinner; enjoyed over several hours. The 2013 pours a deep garnet/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with classic notes of Syrah: mixed, wild brambles and then it’s like opening up a European deli case: black pepper and Herbes de Provence encrusted salami, olive tapenade, lavender, crushed rock and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Beguiling stuff. Drink now through 2038.
Really coming into its own. Gorgeous nose of grilled meats, black olive, green olive, dark herbs. Mashed dark flowers. So layered, complex and ethereal. 2014. can be so good. Elegant and so supple with terrific granite freshness and fine tannins. Gorgeous berry fruit persists on the extended finish. Fantastic energy and depth here but also not as big as the important vintages. This reminds of the best off vintage Bordeaux from great estates. Really love this.
Really coming into its own. Gorgeous nose of grilled meats, black olive, green olive, dark herbs. Mashed dark flowers. So layered, complex and ethereal. 2014. can be so good. Elegant and so supple with terrific granite freshness and fine tannins. Gorgeous berry fruit persists on the extended finish. Fantastic energy and depth here but also not as big as the important vintages. This reminds of the best off vintage Bordeaux from great estates. Really love this.
Jan 7th, 2025Wow has this opened. Stunning nose of red berry fruit, herbs, granite, red plum, tobacco and so so much granite. Wow the aromas are so potent they are going up my nose and massaging this huge schnozz of mine. Clay pottery studio developing now. A 9.7 nose. The essence of Mauves St. Joseph. Just amazing. It’s ripe but within the context of the vintage. Some malted aromas as well. Palate is ripe, rich, silky and so fresh. The acids in 15 are truly what define this vintage. Allied with the ripeness. Perfect balance with not a hair out of place. Long granitic finish. Wonderful focus, precision and powdery tannins. Amazing length. Superb concentration and insane purity of red berried fruit. Treacly texture. Out of this world. 9.6 for now. After 3 hours it’s gained unreal finesse. So decadent yet also so nimble. So close to a 9.7.
Wow has this opened. Stunning nose of red berry fruit, herbs, granite, red plum, tobacco and so so much granite. Wow the aromas are so potent they are going up my nose and massaging this huge schnozz of mine. Clay pottery studio developing now. A 9.7 nose. The essence of Mauves St. Joseph. Just amazing. It’s ripe but within the context of the vintage. Some malted aromas as well. Palate is ripe, rich, silky and so fresh. The acids in 15 are truly what define this vintage. Allied with the ripeness. Perfect balance with not a hair out of place. Long granitic finish. Wonderful focus, precision and powdery tannins. Amazing length. Superb concentration and insane purity of red berried fruit. Treacly texture. Out of this world. 9.6 for now. After 3 hours it’s gained unreal finesse. So decadent yet also so nimble. So close to a 9.7.
Apr 29th, 2023In an amazing place. Wow. Nose is classic, brooding Mauves. Granite, black olive, green olive, but massive granite. 2016 shined a light on the terroir like no other vintage of recent memory. Naked wine. Some brambly berry fruit but an overwhelming smell of a place. Brilliant. 9.8 nose. Palate is so elegant, so nimble and has like a 5% richness that is complimented by terrific freshness, ripe and elegant tannins and an overall sense of elegance and delicacy. Awesome blackberry fruit and black olive on the finish. Needs some air but long, precise and awesome. Super concentrated with awesome tiny berry fruit intensity and tons of structure. Will age.
In an amazing place. Wow. Nose is classic, brooding Mauves. Granite, black olive, green olive, but massive granite. 2016 shined a light on the terroir like no other vintage of recent memory. Naked wine. Some brambly berry fruit but an overwhelming smell of a place. Brilliant. 9.8 nose. Palate is so elegant, so nimble and has like a 5% richness that is complimented by terrific freshness, ripe and elegant tannins and an overall sense of elegance and delicacy. Awesome blackberry fruit and black olive on the finish. Needs some air but long, precise and awesome. Super concentrated with awesome tiny berry fruit intensity and tons of structure. Will age.
Dec 15th, 2022Wow. This is unreal. Nose of herbs, black oozy fruit, granite, blackberry compote, grilled gamey meats, huge granite, mint, menthol, impossibly complex. Classic Mauves St. Joseph. Palate is juicy and very concentrated with just exquisite fruit. Showing maybe 10% of itself but a brilliant 10%. So fresh and dynamic with such fine tannins. Amazing juiciness and depth. So complex and detailed. So fine and refined. Big late breaking tannins that are ripe and so so refined. Amazing purity. What a finish. Gutsy. Brilliant. This finish never ends. What a beautiful oil slick like texture. A baby but I had to try it out. Wait 5 years.
Wow. This is unreal. Nose of herbs, black oozy fruit, granite, blackberry compote, grilled gamey meats, huge granite, mint, menthol, impossibly complex. Classic Mauves St. Joseph. Palate is juicy and very concentrated with just exquisite fruit. Showing maybe 10% of itself but a brilliant 10%. So fresh and dynamic with such fine tannins. Amazing juiciness and depth. So complex and detailed. So fine and refined. Big late breaking tannins that are ripe and so so refined. Amazing purity. What a finish. Gutsy. Brilliant. This finish never ends. What a beautiful oil slick like texture. A baby but I had to try it out. Wait 5 years.
Apr 9th, 2020
Excellent. Medium bodied. Classic Syrah profile.
Excellent. Medium bodied. Classic Syrah profile.
1 person found it helpfulApr 1st, 2018
Mike had this 8 years ago
Mike had this 8 years ago
1 person found it helpfulJan 21st, 2018
Nose: inky dark blackberries.
Palate: deep dense blackberries. Balanced but very dense. Almost monolithic.
Most people will like this more than I do.
As this opens a bit more elegant.
Nose: inky dark blackberries.
Palate: deep dense blackberries. Balanced but very dense. Almost monolithic.
Most people will like this more than I do.
As this opens a bit more elegant.
Packed with fruit, rich, soft and yet still very much Old World Syrah. I don't drink enough northern Rhone, much less with this incredible density, so I'm a little shocked, but this wine has decades of maturity ahead of it. Really does have a Burgundian quality to it as previous notes have mentioned. Unbelievable!
Packed with fruit, rich, soft and yet still very much Old World Syrah. I don't drink enough northern Rhone, much less with this incredible density, so I'm a little shocked, but this wine has decades of maturity ahead of it. Really does have a Burgundian quality to it as previous notes have mentioned. Unbelievable!
Jun 29th, 2015