2017 Domaine Bernard Gripa Saint-Joseph

Totally opaque midnight black core with a dark purple hue. Elevated scents of black cherry and liquorice infused with scorched earth are trailed by some clove, smoked meats and blackpepper. Full bodied, rich black cherry and liquorice fruits are both meaty and opulent in their feel backed by ripe chewy tannins which lend some grip to the finish. Elements of scorched earth, clove, new leather, spicy dried herbs and blackpepper sit underneath. Good freshness with a robust blackpepper infused aftertaste.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 14%

Other Reviews....
Gripa's 2017 Saint Joseph is simply plush, fruity and delicious. How can one not be captivated by its swirls of cherries and blueberries, made savory by the addition of black olives and licorice? It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, with the concentration and length to age for close to a decade.
92 points
Joe Czerwinski - Wine Advocate (Feb 2020)

The larger production cuvée from this terrific estate is the 2017 Saint Joseph, which was brought up in a mix of 228- and 600-liter barrels. Exotic notes of blackberries, tobacco leaf, ground pepper, and sappy herbs give way to a medium to full-bodied 2017 that has obvious minerality, building tannins, and a great finish. While this cuvée is normally relatively approachable right out of the gate, the 2017 is going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age. It will keep for over a decade.
92+ points
Jeb Dunnuck (Dec 2019)