Vincent Ruiz

History of the Vincent Ruiz house

The story of Vincent Ruiz begins in the Ardèche, his native land, in an environment where nature is omnipresent but where wine is not an immediate family tradition. It is out of passion and curiosity that he turned to viticulture, and his encounter with Franck Balthazar in Cornas was formative: between 2018 and 2021, he learned rigour in the vineyard and precision in winemaking, under the guidance of a winemaker who practises whole-cluster Syrah vinification with rare exigence. Balthazar passed on to him a vision of wine grounded in purity, fruit expression and respect for terroir — a vision that would become the foundation of everything Vincent would create thereafter.

In 2020, while continuing to work at Balthazar, Vincent began vinifying his first bottles in Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, from micro-plots entrusted to him by a winemaker friend on the Plateau des Gras in the southern Ardèche. His first cuvées, La Condition Humaine (Syrah) and a Grenache, immediately attracted the admiration of specialist wine merchants and natural wine enthusiasts. "Vincent is a winemaker of heightened sensitivity, uncompromising, with an already very precise and accomplished vision of fine wine." In 2022, he took a new step by taking over, along with other winemakers including Franck Balthazar himself, the Domaine du Gringet in Ayze (Haute-Savoie), formerly Domaine Belluard, of which he became co-manager and lead winemaker. The two ventures continue in parallel.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Vincent Ruiz

The grapes of the Vincent Ruiz négociant house come from the Plateau des Gras, in the southern Ardèche, between Vallon Pont d'Arc and the typical village of Saint-Montan. This plateau, situated at around 450 metres above sea level, features remarkable clay-limestone soils, with a high proportion of sandstone and limestone that lend the wines a mineral tension and a freshness surprising for this area known for its warmth. The terroir is described as "late-ripening": the grapes mature more slowly here than on the valley floor, which explains the freshness and aromatic finesse of the wines, which express qualities close to those of the northern Rhône despite the southern latitude.

The organic plots belonging to Vincent's winemaker friend host a fine diversity of Rhône grape varieties: Syrah, Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Cinsault and Carignan. The Syrahs are grown on schist and granite, enabling a fresh and spicy expression close to the Cornas Syrah he learned at Balthazar. The Grenache noir has been rooted in clay-limestone soils since the 1970s on certain plots. The Carignan comes from vines planted in the 1950s on the same plateaus. Zero chemicals, light ploughing, manual care and constant attention to soil balance define the work in the vineyard.

Vinifications by Vincent Ruiz

Vincent Ruiz's winemaking philosophy is entirely inherited from his years at Franck Balthazar: the minimum of interventions for the maximum expression of fruit and terroir. The grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness, neither too early nor too late, by hand. All grape varieties are vinified as whole clusters, without destemming. No punch-downs or pump-overs, or very few: Vincent prefers to allow fermentation to proceed naturally through intrapellicular infusion, a technique that promotes aromatic extraction without excessive tannic extraction. A single punch-down is sometimes performed the day before pressing. Pressing is carried out in a vertical ratchet press, slowly and gently, over an extended period, to extract all the substance without brutalising the skins.

Macerations last between 5 and 25 days depending on the cuvée and vintage. Ageing takes place in stainless steel or fibreglass tanks for approximately 8 to 10 months as needed, with some ageing in concrete tanks. No added sulphur on the vast majority of cuvées. No filtration. No oenological inputs. Fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts. "Wines of purity and aromatic precision" that impress with "their rare precision among the altitude reds of this region."

The cuvées of Vincent Ruiz

La Condition Humaine (Vin de France, Syrah): The flagship red cuvée and the first cuvée created by Vincent Ruiz, made from organic Syrah from the Cèze valley at 450 metres above sea level in the Gard and Ardèche. Whole clusters, spontaneous fermentation, ageing in stainless steel tanks. A red wine that expresses itself in a northern Rhône style, with black fruits, tapenade, notes of dried herbs and violet. A fresh and dynamic palate of black fruits, pepper, a very elegant vegetal character and a violet-tinged finish. "A joyful juice with lovely red and black fruits, a vegetal side that gives it great energy, and a delicate floral finish of violet." The cuvée that revealed Vincent Ruiz to natural wine enthusiasts.

Les Noces Alchimiques (Vin de France, Grenache noir): A red cuvée made from old Grenache noir vines planted in the 1970s on the clay-limestone plots at 450 metres above sea level on the Plateau des Gras. Two-week maceration with whole clusters, indigenous yeasts, 8 months ageing on fine lees in stainless steel tanks, without filtration or sulphur. A wine "balanced and easy to drink, offering itself up for purely indulgent pleasure." Rare purity and precision for an altitude red from this region, according to tasters. "Striking for its purity and rare precision", the cuvée that demonstrates the nobility of Grenache at altitude in the Ardèche.

Les Nuits Blanches (Vin de France, Carignan): A red cuvée made from old Carignan vines planted in the 1950s on clay-limestone plateaus at 450 metres above sea level. Short maceration with whole clusters, ageing in stainless steel or fibreglass tanks for approximately 10 months depending on the vintage's needs, without sulphur, without filtration. A wine that "manages to reveal the freshness and drinkability of Carignan, ordinarily confined to dry and stony soils." An exercise in style with this often unloved grape variety, transformed here into a fresh, juicy and easy-drinking wine through the magic of altitude and Vincent Ruiz's precision.

Cuvée Grenache Blanc (Vin de France, White): A white cuvée made from organically grown Grenache blanc on the Plateau des Gras. Gentle direct pressing, spontaneous fermentation in tanks, discreet ageing. A dry white wine of remarkable freshness and purity for this southern grape variety, expressing all the calcareous minerality of the Ardèche terroir. Produced in very limited quantities.

Cuvée Cinsault (Vin de France, Rouge/Rosé): A cuvée made from organic Cinsault grown on high-altitude plots, in a light and easy-drinking style, focused on freshness and crunchy fruit. Short maceration or direct pressing depending on the vintage. A thirst-quenching and convivial wine, with aromas of small red fruits and flowers, a light and refreshing palate. The most accessible cuvée of the estate.