The Domaine du Gringet (formerly Domaine Dominique Belluard) is a small wine estate located in the Ayse vineyard, in the heart of the Arve Valley, between Chamonix and Geneva. It is a historic vineyard in the Savoy region, with records dating back to the 11th century. Dominique Belluard’s family settled there in the 1940s. At that time, mixed farming was the norm, and the 10 hectares of land were planted with various fruit trees.
Today, vineyards dominate the landscape, but winemakers producing high-quality wines are still all too rare. It is thanks to winemakers like Dominique Belluard, Gilles Berlioz, and Dominique Lucas that the Savoyard wine-growing landscape is moving in the right direction. They are seeking an authentic expression of the terroir that showcases the full value and quality of their vineyards.
This involves an in-depth study of the soils, their diversity, the energies they radiate, and many other aspects that have both a scientific and a spiritual dimension. For before they are winemakers, they are above all lovers of their terroir, whose primary mission is its preservation.
Indeed, Ayse’s terroir, like that of many other Savoie wines, holds a true treasure: the diversity of its soils. Limestone, yellow marl, and red clay can easily be found just a few meters apart. It is this incredible geological complexity that gives rise to wines that are as deep as they are luminous.
But the Domaine du Gringet has a unique distinction: the Gringet grape variety, which accounts for the bulk of its production. In fact, the wine estate owns nearly half of the 20 hectares planted within the appellation.
All the vines are cultivated biodynamically, in harmony with the cycle of life. It is this symbiosis between the plant, animal, and mineral realms that Dominique Belluard has sought throughout his life.
The wines display impressive consistency, combining depth and energy with remarkable intensity.
All the cuvées are remarkable, starting with the sparkling wines. First comes the cuvée Les Perles du Mont Blanc, followed by the extraordinary cuvée Mont Blanc.
Each dry white wine has its own distinct personality. As for the wine estate’s sole red cuvée—a Mondeuse—it is simply remarkable, though produced in very limited quantities.
Today, the wine estate is led by the young and talented Vincent Ruiz, who trained under Franck Balthazar, among others. The cuvées of Domaine du Gringet carry on the style pioneered by Dominique Belluard.
A new chapter is beginning, but the new winemaker possesses all the qualities needed to carry on this adventure and continue to showcase Gringet as one of the world’s greatest grape varieties, in the spirit of his illustrious predecessor.
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