Domaine Bernard Gripa : Les Figuiers 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Les Figuiers 2024 from Domaine Bernard Gripa

Tasting

Colour

The wine shows a radiant, golden hue, clear and brilliant, characteristic of a white made from Marsanne and Roussanne harvested at full maturity.

Nose

The nose is rich and expressive, blending white and yellow fruits (pear, peach, apricot), white flowers and acacia honey, against a backdrop of delicate spices and subtle toasty notes from the ageing.

Palate

The palate is full, textured and plump, carried by a precise acidity that forms a true backbone. Crystalline minerality mingles with touches of citrus and fine bitters, leading to a long, saline and vibrant finish.

Food and Wine Pairing

Les Figuiers 2024 is an ideal match for grilled noble fish served with tender vegetables and delicately lemony sauces, as well as pan-seared foie gras and poultry with woodland or truffle aromas.

Serving and Cellaring

Les Figuiers 2024 is best served chilled, between 11 and 13 °C, to fully reveal its aromatic palette without its acidity becoming too sharp.

A Saint-Péray from Domaine Bernard Gripa combining textural richness and limestone minerality

The Estate

Domaine Bernard Gripa, founded in 1974 when Bernard Gripa began bottling directly at the estate, is based in Mauves, in the historic heart of the Saint-Joseph appellation, in the northern Rhône Valley. The family, present in the Saint-Péray vineyards since the 17th century, now cultivates around 17.6 hectares of vines, planted with both red and white varieties. The estate is now run by Fabrice Gripa, Bernard's son, who continues a tradition of careful, hand-crafted viticulture, with particular attention paid to the terroirs of Saint-Joseph and Saint-Péray.

The Vineyard

The Les Figuiers cuvée comes from a high-quality terroir in the Putiers area, within the Saint-Péray appellation, where the soils combine white limestone, clay and outcrops of weathered granite. The Marsanne and Roussanne vines, planted in 1946 and 1960 respectively, cover around 1.5 hectares on hillsides between 150 and 250 metres above sea level, exposed to the cooling influence of the Mistral.

The Vintage

The 2024 vintage stands out for a less sun-drenched character than some previous vintages, which helped preserve lovely freshness and great aromatic precision in the estate's white wines, while maintaining a harmonious balance between vibrant fruit and minerality.

Vinification and Ageing

For Les Figuiers 2024, the grapes are hand-harvested with rigorous sorting, then slowly pressed as whole bunches. After a light settling, fermentation takes place in oak barrels, followed by ageing on fine lees for around twelve months in barrels, with regular lees stirring, to develop the wine's texture and aromatic complexity.

Grape Varieties

Les Figuiers 2024 is a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne.