Natasha Hughes on St Péray Figuiers 12 - Gripa
Natasha Hughes, MW, choses Bernard Gripa's Saint-Péray Les Figuiers 2012 as her Wine of the Week on her website on 17th June 2015
The first thing you notice is its texture – there’s something voluptuous and pillowy about it. And then there’s an emergent richness of flavour: stone fruits and pineapples are enhanced by hints of nuttiness and honeysuckle. There’s oak there, but it doesn’t overwhelm. If you’re looking for a wine with fresh acidity, this isn’t your boy; instead it has an easygoing charm that seems to achieve poise without effort.
Its richness of texture and fruit made this wine a sublime partner for a full-flavoured poulet noir, bought from a local butcher, roasted and served with a Provencal twist on a salsa verde (local anchovy spread, heavy with garlic, parsley, basil and mint), tiny new potatoes and sauteed courgettes. (I think it would also fare well with langoustines or prawns cooked on the barbecue – or a barbecued lobster, if I was feeling exceptionally profligate.)