RED SAINT-JOSEPH Le Berceau 2018 (Domaine Gripa)

DESCRIPTION

The wines with the mention "Le Berceau" on the label come from plots located in the historic district of the Saint-Joseph designation recognized by the INAO in 1956.

The red LE BERCEAU wine is a 100% Syrah wine, whose very old vines are more than 80 years old and their low yield, 25 hl / ha, limits the quantity of bottles available per vintage.

TERROIR

The Syrah vines are planted in a place called "Saint-Joseph", in the heart of the historic designation of Saint-Joseph. The soil consists of a biotite granite (or black mica), locally called Granite de Tournon. This 600 million year old magmatic rock was formed by a magma intrusion into the upper mantle.

Very hard at the time of its formation, this granitic rock erodes over time, and the rainwater which infiltrates into its crevices, where the water is trapped, burst the stone when it freezes in winter. After millions and millions years of erosion and water infiltration, the Granite de Tournon is extremely faulty, and the presence of its multiple cracks allows the vines roots to penetrate to find the water trapped inside. On the surface, on the contrary, the rock allows an excellent rainwater drainage and the hillsides slope provides maximum sunshine for a perfect grapes ripening.

WINEGROWING & WINEMAKING

The very steep hillsides of the Saint-Joseph locality prevent the use of mechanical equipment and the care given to the vines as well as the harvests are therefore entirely manual.

Once picked, the whole grapes arrive in the cellar where they are destemmed up to 70%, then placed in open vats for alcoholic fermentation.

The marc cap which forms on the must surface is mixed with the juice twice a day, either by punching down, an operation during which a piston pushes the marc at the tank bottom, or by pumping over, an operation which consists in withdrawing the juice at the tank base to pour it over the marc cap.

The maceration lasts 2 to 3 weeks. The must is then racked to age in 228 liter oak barrels for one year.

Bottling is done in winter.