29 Apr Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Domaine du Gringet 2020 Eponyme, Savoie, France

I love discovering new grape varieties, especially ones I have never heard of before. That moment happened recently while visiting my friend, wine educator Wes Hagen, who pulled a bottle from his cellar and poured me a glass of something entirely unfamiliar. Curious, I took a sip and was immediately captivated by the wine’s texture and complexity. Rare, distinctive, the Domaine du Gringet 2020 Eponyme is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

About the Grape: Gringet

Gringet is an indigenous white grape native to the Arve Valley in Haute-Savoie, France. There are fewer than ten domaines that produce wines made entirely from Gringet grown in their own vineyards, with most located in the village of Ayse. And there is a small amount planted in California by Raj Parr who planted some Gringet after his visit in 2018 to Domaine Belluard.

For many years, it was believed to be related to Savagnin and the Traminer family, but modern genetic research confirmed that Gringet is a unique variety found nowhere else in the world. Gringet is known for tightly packed clusters and vines that require careful management.

Traditionally, the grape was used primarily for sparkling wines, but producer Dominique Belluard demonstrated that it could also produce compelling still wines with depth, precision, and aging potential.

About Domaine du Gringet

Domaine du Gringet is located in the Alpine village of Ayse in France’s Haute-Savoie region, the historic home of the Gringet grape. The estate was founded and shaped by the late Dominique Belluard, who devoted his career to preserving and elevating this rare variety.

When Belluard began working with Gringet, the grape was nearly extinct outside of his family’s land. Through dedication, experimentation, and the creation of his own vine nursery, he cultivated one of the largest selections of Gringet vines in the world. He also helped redefine the grape’s potential, transitioning from more austere, tank-driven styles to richer, more expressive wines crafted in cement eggs and amphorae.

Belluard converted the vineyards to biodynamic farming and carefully mapped individual vineyard parcels to better understand how Gringet responded to different soils. His work transformed the grape from a local curiosity into a variety worthy of international attention.

Following Belluard’s passing in 2021, the estate entered a new chapter under winemaker Vincent Ruiz, who continues to steward the vineyards and protect the future of this rare Alpine grape.

Tasting Notes

The Domaine du Gringet 2020 Eponyme is made from 100% Gringet grown in biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Alpine foothills of Savoie. The wine reflects both the grape’s natural freshness and the mineral-driven character of the region’s soils. After each sip, I put my nose in the glass to try to understand the complexity.  The mineral-driven nose is fascinating and complex, offering notes of under-ripe apricot, stone fruit pit, and citrus. On the palate, the wine is precise and vibrant, with a Riesling-like freshness that cuts through stony minerality. The wine is crisp with chalky acidity and a saline finish. The wine is both refreshing and structured with a lovely phenolic grip and a long, lingering finish.

Food Pairing

Gringet’s bright acidity and mineral character make it an excellent partner for a wide range of foods. Pair it with seafood, alpine cheeses, roasted vegetables, and herb-driven dishes. The balance of freshness and texture also allows it to complement richer fare while maintaining elegance on the palate.

Where To Purchase

It was a special treat to taste this wine. It is a very limited wine, but it retails for $46 if you can find it.