Domaine Bernard Gripa, Saint-Peray, Pins 2020 - 75cl
Saint-Péray is the Northern Rhône's quiet corner, a small white-only appellation across the river from Cornas that most drinkers walk straight past. Bernard Gripa, now run by son Fabrice, is the name that made it worth stopping for.
Les Pins comes off the domaine's older parcels on the granite and clay-limestone slopes, planted mainly to Marsanne with a supporting hand of Roussanne. Half the fruit ferments in tank, half in oak barrel, and the wine then spends around a year on its fine lees with regular stirring. That is where the texture comes from. Gripa is a grower rather than a négociant house, which shows in how tightly the wine is tied to these specific hillsides.
The 2020 opens with white flowers, acacia and hawthorn, then moves into something richer: nougat, praline, a little warm brioche from the barrel. Ripe stone fruit sits underneath, apricot and quince. The palate is where Saint-Péray earns its reputation, weight and velvet from the Marsanne pulled tight by a line of chalky mineral tension, so the whole thing stays fresh rather than heavy. It finishes clean, long and pure. Drinking well now, it will hold and deepen over the next four to six years.
How to Serve
Serve at 10-12°C. Too cold and you lose the nougat and stone-fruit richness. A larger white wine glass suits it; a younger bottle opens nicely with fifteen minutes of air.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot Soho, a natural home for characterful Rhône whites. The River Cafe for something rich off the pass. Planque in Haggerston if you want to dig through the cellar.
Food Pairings
Roast chicken with tarragon is my default here. It also loves a plate of soft, washed-rind cheese, and I have poured it happily alongside grilled turbot with brown butter.
