Dominique Belluard’s tragic passing in 2021 left the future of his iconic Savioe estate in question. Making sure it passed to a true vigneron, his wife Valerie chose the young, talented Vincent Ruiz to carry on the domaine’s legacy.

With baited breath last week, we tasted his first release of the renamed Domaine du Gringet. Excited by this new chapter (and tbh relieved by the incredibly high quality), we’re confident that long-time fans (like us) will be thrilled with the results.

Honoring the work with incredible pedigree while at the same time making notable changes, newly-landed Domaine du Gringet is one we can go all in on. Story below.

It’s hard to have come up in the wine industry over the last 20+ years and not been moved in one way or another by the work of Dominique Belluard. He created a whole category through his domaine bottlings, having single-handedly elevated the Alpine grape Gringet from unknown varietal that quietly lived in local sparkling wine, to an iconic vehicle of terroir.

He tragically passed in 2021, leaving the future of this defining estate in question. That year his talented friends jumped in to help make and bottle the ‘21 vintage while his wife Valérie made plans for the future of the estate. Many hoping to purchase the estate came to see Valérie. But, one person stood out in his interpretation of her husband’s legacy: young vigneron Vincent Ruiz, who’d spent the better part of a decade working for Cornas’ Franck Balthazar.

With the support of Franck and Belluard’s French distributor behind him, Vincent purchased the estate, rebranded as Domaine de Gringet, and quickly got to work on the 2022 vintage.

And, the legacy more than lives on: the wines are phenomenal. Speaking to their individual parcel and unique soil type (more below), they're wines of real structure, extracting the best that Gringet has to offer. There’s that signature quince-y, orchard fruit, done in a way that is fresh and salty and not at all weighed down – minerality at a high octave.

In terms of the farming and winemaking: the fruit is certified organic, with the intention of being certified biodynamic. With the exception of Bergerie, the wines are fermented and aged in cement (as Dominique did); all whole cluster pressed with native fermentations, and a reduction in the amount of sulfur used.

One major difference: there is no sparkling wine, which the estate was previously known for. Ruiz is firmly focused on still wines at the moment. He’s also making red wine under a different (eponymous) label, using négoce fruit from the Rhône (details below!).

2022 Domaine du Gringet, La Bergerie Ayze Blanc, Savoie $52
A snapshot of the estate as it's the only blend of terroirs. It’s also made slightly different than the single parcels in that élevage is partly in stainless steel, giving this a more upright profile.

2022 Domaine du Gringet, 'Vers Etraz' Ayze Blanc, Savoie $64
Deep cut fans of Belluard would know the fruit from this limestone site as having been the source of his sparkling “Mont Blanc.’ As a still wine raised entirely in cement egg, it’s arguably the most soil driven of the wines, showing a stony, alpine character from limestone.

2022 Domaine du Gringet, 'La Paille' Ayze Blanc, Savoie $100
Gringet from one of the oldest (almost 100 year old) parcels which sits directly south in its very famous white marl soils. Power, quince-like fruit and waves of texture define this very fine wine.

2022 Domaine du Gringet, 'Le Feu' Ayze Blanc, Savoie $100
Arguably Belluard's most famous terroir, Le Feu is on red marl and grows a ripe Gringet defined by thick skins and equally impressive acid. As noble as the varietal gets.

2022 Domaine du Gringet Aubeterre, Roussette de Savoie $64
The one Altesse of the estate is beautiful and arguably the most open-knit wine in the range. From a single parcel sitting by ‘La Paille’, it's made exactly the same way as the Gringet in cement egg. Deeply satisfying Altesse.

RHÔNE WINES:

For those interested in Vincent's touch with red wines and/or how his time with Franck Balthazar, its well worth tasting through his tiny negoce project. All from one site in Gard from old bushe trained vines of Grenache and Syrah, about an hour south Valence.

2022 Vincent Ruiz 'L'Ami Faust' Grenache Noir $40
Dancing between a structured rosé and a lifted red, this whole cluster grenache is as quenching as it is fun to drink.

2022 Vincent Ruiz 'Prima Materia' Grenache Noir $40
The more structured, sinewy of the two whole cluster Grenache, as it sees two weeks on the skins before being pressed off and resting on the lees. A grippy, impressive wine.

2022 Vincent Ruiz 'Yseult Mon Amour' Syrah $40
The wine that speaks most to his time with Balthazar, this is a deeply impressive Syrah. Made whole cluster, and though it sat on the skins for 21 days he never punched or pumped the fruit; leaving a delicate balance between fruit and freshness.