Winemaker: Vincent Ruiz
Where: Fruit from Gras, Ardèche, vinified in Ayze, Savoie, France
Size: Negotiant fruit
Main Varieties: Syrah, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Carignan & Grenache Blanc
Viticulture: Organic certified
Quick note: Vincent started this project before creating Domaine du Gringet, both are made in the Ayze cellar. The by now iconic labels come from a 17th century alchemical glossary.
We tie this text together with the Domaine du Gringet winery page, as that is the second project made by Vincent Ruiz. This project however is named for Vincent himself. After many years of working harvests, in 2020 he teamed up with a friend of his who provides Vincent with high-quality organic grapes, focused on the south of Ardèche, the vineyards are located on high altitude terroir in Gras, on a clay-limestone plateau, with mainly Syrah, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Carignan and Grenache Blanc planted.
Of course, not to make things too easy, this fruit ripens only a few days before those of his second project, Domaine du Gringet, so all is hand-harvested, and the grapes are then transported by refrigerated truck to the Domaine in Ayze, where vinification takes place. All cuvées are whole cluster, with native yeast fermentation, gentle macerations with no punch downs or pump overs which last between five and twenty-five days. The wines are then aged in concrete, stainless steel and fiberglass vats. With a low PH terroir, the wines are able to have low sulphur levels (less than 12 mg of total sulfur per liter on all of the cuvées in 2024!) and yet find stability and freshness.
Clearly the labels are a stand out, and reflect Vincent’s fascination with historical alchemy, coming from a 17th century alchemical glossary called ‘Atalanta Fugiens’. The engravings depict a mix of ancient myths and western symbols, and do truly reinforce the philosophical discussion about wine, humanity and spirituality that all are free to interpret according to their own sensibilities.
