Blog

We first started working with Dominique Belluard, an artisan-vigneron in the village of Ayse in the Haute-Savoie, almost in the shadow of Mont-Blanc, in summer 2003. We first shipped his white, a Gringet from the 2002 vintage, and some of his Mondeuse. Dominique has joined his older brother, Patrick, on the family farm in 1988, having done a course at wine school in Burgundy and soon Domaine Belluard was the largest estate in Ayse.

Gringet was the name of an ancient local grape, and many theories abounded as to its origin, the main one being that it was related to the Savagnin, itself part of the Traminer family. More recently, this has been debunked, and noted ampelographer José Vouillamoz has discovered that Gringet is a unique variety and native to the valley of the Arve.

Dominique was one of the only producers vinifying Gringet as a still wine. Others tended to use it as a base for their sparkling wines or sold it to the local co-op to do so.  Dominique was fascinated by the potential of Gringet and changed his methods accordingly over the years from making a more austere style with the precision of tank vinification and ageing to a mouthfilling, even luscious wine made in a combination of Nomblot cement eggs (Dom was one of the first in France to use these), and even amphorae. He converted his vineyards to biodynamics (assisted by his friend, Yann Pernuit) and gradually made the wines more naturally, not filtering and eschewing added sulphites. Finally, he began to map out the parcels on his land to understand how the grape performed on a variety of different soil types. He was truly the master of Gringet.

Wink Lorch writes movingly:

He was someone who questioned everything; indeed, he was a pioneer of so much, not just in Ayze, but far beyond. Anything he did was thoroughly considered. It is this fastidiousness, which in due course showed itself in his range of wines, a range so exciting that in the past 15 years distributors in France and importers from across the world scrambled to buy the wines. These were the first Savoie wines ever to be sold on allocation.

It was Dominique Belluard who showed that fine still wine could be made from Gringet as well as traditional method sparkling. It was he who questioned the conventional wisdom that Gringet was part of the Savagnin family and asked the ampelographer José Vouillamoz to investigate. The results proved that Gringet was unique and indigenous to the Alps.

…Thank you Dominique for the time you gave us to produce some of the most exciting wines in the world, which never failed to enthuse wine professionals and consumers alike when I was privileged to share my meagre stock. You gave wonderful service to Savoie and the world of wine.

In June 2021, Dominique sadly took his own life. The future of the vineyard and even the grape variety, Gringet, was uncertain. The Belluard family offered the grapes to some of Dominique’s closest winemaker friends and we are privileged to be able to present (for the first, and undoubtedly the last, time) a selection of those unique wines. Belluard’s vineyards are now in the safe hands of young Vincent Ruiz who is dedicating himself with passion to realising the potential of the grape and has appropriately renamed the estate: Domaine du Gringet. Meanwhile, other producers have taken cuttings from Dominique’s vineyard and a nursery is also propagating the variety.  Raj Parr has made a Gringet in California and Lo-Fi have planted a small plot to it as well. The future of this beautiful and rare grape variety now seems assured.

The world’s first (and arguably) last ever comparative Gringet tasting

Having accumulated examples of Gringet from several of the growers they work with, Les Caves de Pyrène decided to organise a tasting entirely dedicated to this variety. As Dominique Belluard had a virtual monopoly on Gringet plantings, we necessarily focused on the wines made in the 2021 vintage by his various vigneron friends. Examples were poured from Jean-Claude Lapalu (who originally introduced us to Dominique); Jean-Marie Berrux, a Burgundy grower based in Meursault; Jean-François Ganevat whose Le Feu Gringet references Dom’s legendary cuvée; Franck Balthazar (with whom Vincent Ruiz worked in Cornas); Yann Pernuit (Les Vins de Belema) whose endeavours to found his own estate were supported by Dominique; Nicolas Jacob, a leading natural wine producer in Jura; young Burgundian vigneron Théo Dancer; the famous Jean-Yves Péron, native of Savoie, always pushing the boundaries of winemaking; Zeroine, (Maylis Bernard, Ganevat’s partner, from the village of Rotalier in the south of Jura) and O2Y (a small project based in Poligny in Jura) and, of course, Vincent Ruiz who runs Domaine du Gringet. We also showed two of Dominique’s wines, namely the Mont Blanc Brut Zero and the Gringet “Le Feu”. Although this was as comprehensive tasting as we could organise given the rarity of the wines, we were unable to source a Gringet from Domaine Vallier.

As well as a homage to Belluard and this unique variety, it was an opportunity to discover how different vignerons interpreted the grape variety, what they felt its intrinsic qualities were, and how best to elicit them. Not that Dominique’s wines were the same. Les Alpes and Le Feu were chalk and cheese, and Eponyme was different to both of those.

Gringet is a characterful variety that produces small, tightly packed clusters. It is a wild one too, tending to grow in all directions — according to Vincent Ruiz’s words — and requiring a lot of care and attention to support its growth. These efforts are, however, rewarded with wines offering refined, elegant, and complex taste profiles, combining fruity and floral notes with spicy tones and a root-like quality. It is not a stretch of fancy to detect fugitive scents of alpine plants and flowers.

Although Ayse is a small appellation (approximately twenty hectares), it boasts an incredible diversity of terroirs, including limestone scree, yellow marl, white marl, and red marl. Fortunately, Gringet is a grape variety that absorbs (and reflects) the specificities of the soil on which it grows.

Back to Dominique. He made an extraordinary alpine white wine to age a decade and more, something contrary to conventional local wisdom that Savoie wines should be drunk young. This was Le Feu from a plot on iron-rich red clay soils. To taste this wine is to understand the extraordinary potential of the Gringet grape farmed diligently and crafted with due appreciation for its heritage.

Our deep thanks to Sager & Wine and 107 Clapton for supplying samples to this tasting. Other suppliers include Gergovie Wines and Tutto Wines.

The tasting

2016 Gringet Mont Blanc Brut Zero

The wine from the limestone scree terroir of Etraz spends three years on the lees before disgorgement, with zero dosage. A beautiful, mineral expression of Gringet with white flowers, hazelnut and citrus skins on the nose. It’s delicately full and creamy on the palate with saline and bitter flavours and a very pure finish.

2019 Gringet “Le Feu”, Domaine Belluard

Le Feu is from late maturing old vine Gringet grapes on steep (40%) slopes – the “hot spot” of the vineyard with roots plunged into red clay rich in iron oxide. Belluard ran through the gamut of fermentation vessels. Eventually all wines were fermented and aged in cement ovoid betons, the liquid inside in biodynamic suspension. White peaches, wild mint, minerals… The wine’s opulence is balanced by lightness of alcohol and incredibly relaxed leesy spiciness. The original.

2019 Feu Follet Brut Zero, Jean Claude Lapalu x Belluard

After Dominique’s passing in 2021, Jean-Claude bought some of the 2019 Mont Blanc Brut Zero from the estate to finish aging and disgorgement at his cellar in the Beaujolais. This is a fitting tribute. Plenty of pithy citrus, vibrant acidity and long saline finish.

2021 Feu Follet, Jean-Claude LapaluJean-Claude Lapalu was a close friend of Dominique Belluard. He took the grapes back to his own winery in Brouilly, where he made this wine. Feu Follet is a homage to the spirit of Dominique (it means fool’s fire or will o’ the wisp often denoting the spirits of loved ones passing). The wine itself is vibrant and laden with apple and pear pithiness with a precise and almost glacial finish.

2021 Le Feu, Jean-Claude and Anne Ganevat

The Ganevat family were very close to Dominique as well. Le Feu captures the spirit and the style of Belluard’s Le Feu. Vinified from Gringet grapes (grown on a hillside parcel of iron-rich soil) in a mixture of amphora and demi-muids and aged for two years followed by a year in bottle. Spiced orchard fruit compote with notes of clover honey and warm earth. Mouthcoating and energetic, a layered white to linger over.

2023 Imago Gringet, Les Vins de Belema

This is from Yann Pernuit’s plot of biodynamically-farmed Gringet (cuttings taken from Dominique’s vineyard) in Ayse grown on a mix of limestone scree, yellow marls and clay.

In biology, the imago (Latin for “image”) is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development. For Yann, ‘Imago’ is the result of the entire creation of the domaine, from the plantation to the bottles and a nod to his friend Dominique. Vinified in a mixture of amphorae and eggs, the wine perfectly expresses the tension between the natural acidity of the grape variety and a mellowness care of excellent grape ripeness and lengthy and dynamic lees-ageing.2021 B & B de Gringet, Jean-Marie Berrux

Jean-Marie’s family comes from the Savoie region and he himself was born in Chambéry. Sporting liquid crystallised fruits on the nose, B & B is crisp, coiled Gringet,  replete/slender with vivid whipcrack acidity and bedrock minerals. There’s a sea-spray, sea-shelly salinity, and a kind of delicate lime-zest filigree acidity. Properly glacial.

NV (2023) VdF Gringet, Franck Balthazar

Franck Balthazar, he of Cornas fame, is one of the partners in Domaine du Gringet. This was one of the lightest and freshest Gringets on show, a lovely unobtrusive alpine wine.

2020 Gringet Pierra Menta, Jean-Yves Peron

From a different part of Savoie (schistose soils prevailing), this is different take on the Gringet grape. Whole bunches, carbonic maceration with approximately 15-days of skin maceration make for a fruity style of wine. The skin-contact element is not obvious, and the acidity overpowers the fruit.

2021 Gringet Alpestre, Theo Dancer

Young Théo Dancer is making waves in Burgundy with his wines and also works with grapes and vineyards outside his native region. Alpestre is a natural Gringet from Belluard’s vineyard aged in a combination of amphora and glass.

2021 Gringet GR, Nicolas Jacob

Native of Jura vigneron Nicolas Jacob’s inherent fascination with flora and inspiration from the region’s wines formed the foundation for his viticultural aspiration. For six years, he worked for Domaine Macle in Château Chalon and his personal mentor Jean-François Ganevat. This Gringet, again sourced from Dominique’s vineyards in the 2021 vintage, exhibits a more “Jurassic feel” as it is fermented and aged in oak barrels.  Nutty and leesy, it is very interesting in its own right.2021 Gringalet, O2Y, Poligny, Jura

Olivier Guala, one of the trio who makes up O2Y managed to secure his own small allocation of Gringet grapes. The fruit comes from some of the most iconic vineyards in Ayse, planed on a mix of calcareous and marl soils. It is pressed directly into cuve and aged on fine lees in barrel after fermentation and malolactic have completed.

2021 Gringet Gri Gri, Zeroine, Rotalier, Jura

Zeroine is the brainchild of Maylis Bernard who established her negoce business in 2018 but has since been acquiring small plots of vines in Rotalier, Sud Revermont. Direct pressing into amphora with natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts, then two years ageing in the same vessel with an additional year in bottle. No fining, filtration or sulphur. Expressive, racy and fully mature: herbal tea, white-fleshed fruits, candied citrus, minerals and a hint of iodine and excellent tension care of the fine acidity.

2022 Domaine du Gringet, La Bergerie
From the south-facing foothill terroirs of Le Pré Milleret and Chez Reydet, this is the only blended cuvée released by the winery in their first vintage. Spontaneous fermentation in tank and ageing on fine lees in concrete eggs (70%) and  stainless steel (30%) for approximately 9 months. Ageing lasts a further 10 months once in bottle. Green apple, acacia, almond tones. Beautiful energy and length.

2022 Domaine du Gringet Vers Etraz
Deep cut fans of Belluard would know the fruit from this limestone scree of Etraz 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.