VINCENT RUIZ
Saint-Romain-de-Lerps
Rhône
In 2020, Vincent vinified his first wines in Saint-Romain de Lerps, a small village in northern Ardèche. When Domaine du Gringet was founded in 2022 with Vincent at the helm, the decision was made to continue this adventure by creating a range of wines named “Les Vins de Vincent”.
For this range, the fruit is purchased from a friend based in southern Ardèche, who farms Syrah, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Carignan and Grenache Blanc organically on a high altitude terroir located in Gras, a clay-limestone plateau between Vallon Pont d’Arc and the village of Saint-Montan. This late ripening terroir results in grapes harvested just a few days before those of Domaine du Gringet. The grapes are hand harvested and transported by refrigerated truck to Domaine du Gringet in Ayse for vinification.
All cuvées are worked with whole clusters and fermented with native yeasts. Macerations are conducted without punching down or pumping over, typically lasting between five and twenty-five days depending on the cuvée. The wines are aged in concrete, stainless steel and fibreglass vats. Thanks to the low pH provided by this terroir, the cuvées are precise and stable, often needing very low levels of sulfur, if any at all (in 2022 was less than 12mg of total sulfur per litre).
By purchasing grapes from the same plots each year, the goal is to anchor the identity of each vintage over time and refine the vinification process to best express the potential of the Gras terroir.
L'Humanité Avant Le Déluge
Vintage 2024
Style White
Region Ardéche
Varieties Grenache Blanc
ABV 13.5%
Soils Clay, limestone
Farming Organic
Winemaking Vines planted in the 90s in
the hamlet of Chastrianges on a clay-limestone plateau at
450 metres in the southern Ardèche.
Grapes are gently pressed for seven hours in a
horizontal pneumatic press. Rough settling and oxidation
of the must then occurs for 24 hours. A tiny amount of sulphur is added prior to spontaneous fermentation. Wine ages
for 10 months on lees in ovoid concrete vats and a further 10
months in bottle. Bottled under vacuum, without added sulphur.
Tasting Note
L'Ami Faust
Vintage 2024
Style Red
Region Ardéche
Varieties Cinsault
ABV 11%
Soils Limestone
Farming Organic
Winemaking From a particularly rocky limestone slope of Cinsault vines planted in 2015 at an altitude of 450 meters in the
southern Ardèche.
Fermented with indigenous yeasts, the grapes see a short 3 day maceration in
whole bunches, with no punching down or no pumping over. Then lightly sulphured and pressed with a vertical hydraulic press. The wine is then aged for 10
months on fine lees in stainless steel tanks. Bottled
under vacuum without sulphur, fining or filtration.
Tasting Note
Les Noces Alchimiques
Vintage 2024
Style Red
Region Ardéche
Varieties Grenache
ABV 13%
Soils Limestone, clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking From bush trained, old vine Grenache on clay-calcareous soils planted at 450m above sea level in the 70s. Vincent carried out a 12 day whole bunch maceration with no punch downs or pump overs, in the style more of an infusion. Here there is also a light sulphuring. The wine spends 10 months on lees in stainless steel. Bottled
under vacuum without sulphur, fining or filtration.
Tasting Note
Yseult Mon Amour
Vintage 2022
Style Red
Region Ardéche
Varieties Syrah
ABV 12%
Soils Limestone, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking The Syrah comes from the oldest vineyard planted on this terroir with vines being 60 years old on average. Whole bunches are macerated for 21 days before being pressed through a vertical press to feed into tank. Here the wine ages on its lees for 8 months until bottling.
Tasting Note Bright red plum and cherry tones, blend in with crushed pepper and violet tones. A more elegant vintage with delicate tannins.
Yseult Mon Amour
Vintage 2024
Style Red
Region Ardéche
Varieties Syrah
ABV 12.5%
Soils Limestone, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking The Syrah comes from the oldest vineyard planted on this terroir with vines planted in the 1960s on a plateau in the Southern Ardéche. Whole bunches are macerated for 15 days in an infusion style, with no pumpovers or punch downs and a light sulphuring before being pressed through a vertical press to feed into tank. The wine spends 10 months on lees in stainless steel. Bottled
under vacuum without sulphur, fining or filtration.
Tasting Note