Domaine du Gringet, taking over the reins of Domaine Belluard, making remarkable Savoie wines
I tasted these wines with Miguel Sarzies, who’s part owner, vigneron and winemaker at Domaine du Gringet, a remarkable producer based in Ayse in the Haute Savoie appellation, near Geneva and Annecy, in the French Alps. This is the new version of Domaine Belluard, and the domaine was founded by four partners who bought the domaine after the death of Dominique Belluard in 2021. The four are Vincent Ruiz (he worked in the cellar with Franck and then moved to work at Gringet), Franck Balthazar (a vigneron in Cornas), Raphaël Bennour (he’s an importer in France, who sold the wines of Dominic and Franck, and was the link between all four partners in this new venture) and Miguel.
No 2021 was made at the domaine: the grapes were sold. There were two wines made from the 2020 vintage, started by Dominique but finished by others. One is the Eponyme, which I’ve tasted – it’s a remarkable wine and this was finished by Ganevat. The first vintage made by Vincent and the new team was the 2022s which were tasted here. In 2023 they bought a sheepfold that they converted into a winery.
Vin de Savoie Ayze is an appellation that covers three communes – Ayse, Marignier and Bonneville – and they are south-facing vineyards at the foot of the Mole mountain. The terroir is described by Miguel as geological chaos, with limestone screes, and red, white and yellow marl. Wines have been made here since the 12th century when there were monks here who made wine.
Today there are just 20 hectares, but back in 1925 there were 380 ha and in 1870 before phylloxera there were 600 hectares. Mostly Gringet is grown here with a little Roussette d’Ayze (this is not Altesse: these varieties are often confused), and there are just four professional winegrowers and a dozen part timers.
There are just 20 hectares of Gringet worldwide, and it has small clusters with small berries. It’s highly susceptible to downy mildew but not to powdery. It grows wildly, sending shoots in lots of directions. Harvest is at the end of September and early October. It’s a good transmitter of terroir, and has freshness from bitterness and minerality, but not acidity (pH is typically 3.4). The wines are very rich in extract.
Domaine du Gringet have 10 hectares with 9.5 hectares planted. They have 8.5 ha of Gringet and then half a hectare each of Altesse and Mondeuse. Half is at the foot of the hill and half on the steep slopes. Altitude is around 450 m at the bottom of the slope.
They converted to organics in 2022. They are farming regeneratively in order to restore the soils, using mulches and green and yellow manures (to produce as much organic matter as possible – if they cut the grass too soon it will grow again, but with yellow manure you pick a type of grass that dies when the vine is growing most actively, so it doesn’t compete), and no ploughing. They practice tressage (braiding the vines) and don’t trim the vine.
Winemaking is simple. The grapes are picked into small crates and are then sorted. Pressing is whole bunch and very slow over 5-7 h, and they let the juice oxidise to remove phenolics and exotic fruity notes. Some sulfites are added before fermentation in concrete eggs or sandstone jars. They do malolactic fermentation and the wine is matured on lees without any racking. They bottle without adding sulfites and without fining and filtration.
THE WINES
Domaine du Gringet La Bergerie 2022 Vin de Savoie Ayze
Blend of terroirs at the foot of the hill, with vines planted between 1947 and the 1980s. It’s half of their production. Mostly trellised vines but a few bushvines (gobelet). Slightly cloudy. Nice texture here with fine grained detail and some chalkiness providing texture, and a broad palate with modest acidity but a saline mineral quality giving freshness to the pear, melon and mandarin fruit. Beautiful texture to this wine with nice complexity, finishing with chalk and liqourice notes. 94/100
Domaine du Gringet Etraz 2022 Vin de Savoie Ayze
This is a single plot of Gringet. It’s very stony limestone scree at the foot of the hill. Vines planted in the 1970s and 1980s. There’s 18% of clay in the soil, which is low. Slightly cloudy. Really fresh aromatics with lime, a touch of oyster shell and some fine green notes. There’s a mineral brightness on the palate with vibrant mandarin and melon fruit, with nice texture and some chalky, mineral detail. There’s real length on the finish. 95/100
Domaine du Gringet Chez Edourard 2022 Vin de Savoie Ayze
A small (quarter of a hectare) parcel at 600 m with limestone screes. Vines planted in 1915 as gobelet (bush vines). Cloudy. This is bright, lively and precise with nice acidity under the pear, green apple and mandarin fruit. It’s textural and energetic at the same time with pronounced stony minerality and some chalkiness on the finish. Lovely energy here. 94/100
Domaine du Gringet Le Feu 2022 Vin de Savoie Ayze
Single vineyard parcel with red marl soils, vines planted in the 1970s and 1980s. Mostly trellised, and steeply sloping. For Dominique Belluard, Le Feu was a brand and was a mix of terroirs. This is just a single plot. Lovely texture and depth here with bold melon, pear and mandarin fruit with a liquorice twist and some saltiness on the finish. Lovely texture with mid-palate depth but then lovely freshness on the finish, which is long. 96/100
Domaine du Gringet Le Paille 2022 Vin de Savoie Ayze
Gringet from a single plot. Poor white marl soils, old vines (1929/1930) planted gobelet. This has freshness and delicacy, with lovely texture to the pear, mandarin and some grapefruit notes. Subtle, fine and mineral with some chalkiness and a wet stone minerality. Lovely texture and intensity here with real precision and focus, and a long, tingling, mineral finish, with a touch of grapefruit bitterness on the finish. 95/100
UK agent: Berry Bros & Rudd
