Domaine Bernard Gripa
Overview
Domaine Bernard and Fabrice Gripa is a top domaine at Saint-Joseph and Saint-Peray, renowned especially for very classy white wines combining Marsanne and Roussanne. The Gripa family are long established with deep local connections across the wine community. Father Bernard was extremely hardworking and tenacious, motivated to make wines of integrity; he died suddenly in February 2026. Son Fabrice has taken the whites to a high plane of finesse and quality.
Appellations
Key Wines
- Saint-Joseph Le Berceau white — 100% Marsanne, oldest vines dating to the 1920s; never below four stars; full-bodied
- Saint-Joseph Le Berceau red — spicy and chewy, lives at least 15 years; more elegance on the agenda in recent years; 2019 was a five-star beauty
- Saint-Joseph Parady red — from 1.5 hectares on Paradis at Mauves; emphasizes typical fleshy red-fruited softness
- Saint-Peray Les Figuiers — stands out thanks to mature Roussanne content (1960-62 plantings, ~65%); 2018, 2019, and 2020 all top-grade wines, very much on grace and finesse
- Saint-Peray Les Pins
- Vin de France Cerise — 60-70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30-40% Syrah; great value, serious depth in 2018
Style Notes
The whites are the calling card: both Le Berceau Saint-Joseph and Figuiers Saint-Peray demand some ageing to integrate their oak, but reward patience with finesse and complexity. The red Saint-Josephs are full, if a little rigorous at the outset, though Fabrice has been easing that aspect from the late 2010s, seeking greater finesse in the tannins. The Saint-Peray holding grew in 2006 when cousin Pierre Darona retired. These wines can be followed with confidence.
Producer Profile (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
A domaine for very classy white wines combining Marsanne and Roussanne. The Gripa family are long established, with local connections across the wine community. Father Bernard was very hardworking and tenacious, motivated to make wines of integrity — the reds requiring time to come through and shed early tannic demands. He died suddenly in February 2026.
Son Fabrice has taken the whites notably to a high plane of finesse and quality. The special whites — Le Berceau Saint-Joseph and Figuiers Saint-Peray — demand some ageing to integrate their oak. The Figuiers stands out thanks to its mature Roussanne content (1960-62, around 65% of the wine).
There is also a Vin de France called Cerise, 60-70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30-40% Syrah, a four-star wine of serious depth in 2018.
Location: 5 avenue Ozier, Le chemin de Halage, 07300 Mauves. Export markets: 1) USA, 2) GB, 3) NL, 4) Germany. 15% exported.
My Tastings
Key Wines & Vintage Notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
Saint-Joseph Le Berceau Rouge
Spicy and chewy; lives at least 15 years. More elegance sought in recent vintages.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | 2046-48 | Blackberry, cool tones, silken touches, stylish |
| 2021 | — | 2038-40 | Smoky, red stone fruits, crystalline clarity |
| 2020 | — | 2044-46 | Deep black fruits, Morello cherries; needs time |
| 2019 | ★★★★(★) | 2040-45 | Wide, well-tuned, stylish; “a five-star beauty” |
Saint-Joseph Le Berceau Blanc
100% Marsanne, oldest vines from the 1920s. Never below four stars.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | 2037-39 | Fine poise of elegance, white fruits, fennel lift |
| 2022 | ★★★★ | 2033-36 | Grapey, white pepper, spiced edges, honeysuckle |
| 2019 | ★★★★ | 2032-36 | Waiting game; pear, ginger within, good freshness |
| 2018 | — | 2029-30 | Low profile weight, peach, nectarine, roasted nuts |
Saint-Joseph Rouge
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ★★★★–★★★★(★) | 2041-47 | Multiple cask tastings; ripe roundness, dark red fruit |
| 2020 | ★★★(★)–★★★★(★) | 2042-44 | Several cask tastings; white pepper, black fruits, violets |
| 2018 | ★★★★ | 2031-33 | Sweet-noted, mulled fruits, immediate layers of blackberries |
Saint-Peray Les Figuiers
Mature Roussanne content (1960-62 plantings, ~65%). JLL top-grade in 2018-2020.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | 2035-36 | Orange marmalade, salted ripeness |
| 2022 | ★★★★(★) | 2032-37 | Apricot, glazed fruits, nuts; grace and finesse |
| 2019 | ★★★★ | 2028-35 | Lurking dried white fruits, holding phase; patience rewarded |
| 2018 | — | 2029-30 | Bright, well-filled; apricot, greengage plum |
Saint-Peray Les Pins
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ★★★★ / ★★★(★) | 2030-34 | Very neat, detail, white fruits; attractive cool opening |
| 2020 | ★★★★ | 2028-29 | Peach, apricot, pleasing roundness; “gets better on second viewing” |
| 2019 | ★★★★ | 2026-31 | Intricate, varied; salt, roasted nuts, apricot |
Sources
sources/articles/JLL/Domaine_Bernard_Gripa.txtsources/articles/JLL/rhone_wines_data.json— Wine-by-wine vintage notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)