Dominique Belluard Eponyme 2020

Dominique Belluard Eponyme 2020

Dominique Belluard
$50.00

Grape: Gringet
Vintage: 2020
Type: White

This white wine is crafted from the rare native gringet grape, grown in the high-elevation alpine slopes of the Savoie region. Hand-harvested by the late Dominique Belluard during his final vintage, the fruit comes from certified biodynamic vineyards rooted in calcareous clay and marl. The winemaking utilizes a low-intervention spontaneous fermentation with native wild yeasts inside traditional concrete vats, avoiding oak wood manipulation. It matures on its fine fermentation lees to build texture without any commercial additions.

It pours a pale straw color, releasing delicate aromas of pear, quince, white orchard flowers, and wet stone. A medium-bodied frame balances a refined alpine mouthfeel with a sharp line of mountain acidity. Flavors of crisp green apple and citrus zest interweave with a vein of mineral salinity. The texture remains clean and focused across the center of the wine, providing excellent structural tension. It finishes dry and persistent, leaving a spicy lift.

Dominique Belluard, Dom to his friends, worked his family’s domaine in Ayse from 1988 until his death in 2021.

When Dom took over, the domaine was in polyculture, with dairy cows, apples, and other crops in addition to grapes.  Dom was very much a farmer, but he wanted to focus his energies on being a vigneron, so he increased the vineyard plantings.  He was particularly drawn to Gringet, a white variety found only in Ayse that was nearly extinct.  A few local growers sold grapes to the co-op for sparkling wine, but there were no efforts to make fine wine or vins de garde from Gringet.   Dom become the master of Gringet showing the world its potential in Ayze’s terroir.

Ayze is a Cru of the Vin de Savoie appellation that covers the mountainous landscape south of Lake Geneva in far-eastern France.

Ayze is only about 30 miles from Mont Blanc, but the Belluard vineyards are planted relatively lower to allow ripening. Make no mistake, these are mountain wines.  All are farmed biodynamically and were planted by selection massale.

Domaine Belluard had about half of the Gringet planted in the world. The varietal was almost extinct outside of his family's land.

Dom’s cellar practices were as careful and thoughtful as his farming.  All fermentations are native and elevage typically occurs in cement eggs or stainless steel.

Wine made with 100% Gringet. Primary fermentation using native yeast and elevage occurs in concrete eggs. Second fermentation occurs in the bottle using native Champagne yeast; the wine is aged for two years on lees before disgorgement. The wine is unfined, unfiltered, with no SO2.