A Tale of Alpine Terroir: Stéphane Cyran, Lorraine / Dominique Belluard Ayze Savoie
Stéphane Cyran Mont-le-Vignoble, Lorraine
Located in the northern French region of Lorraine, Stéphane manages a small 1.5 hectares of vineyards near his family home and cellar. Although Lorraine is nestled between the renowned wine regions of Alsace and Champagne, it doesn’t have the same historical prestige for winemaking, something Stéphane is determined to change. With climate change bringing warmer temperatures to the area, Lorraine is now gaining recognition as a promising spot for viticulture. Stéphane takes great care in both the vineyard and cellar, nurturing the land and vines with dedication. His Pinot Noir and Gamay vines grow in clay-rich soils, which are tended either by hand or horse, depending on the terrain. In the cellar, Stéphane embraces whole-bunch maceration for both red and white varieties, and his winemaking process is completely free of any additives during both vinification and bottling. In recent years, Stéphane has also expanded by collaborating with friends in Lorraine and Alsace to source fruit for his négociant project, Le Deuxième Soufflée. This has allowed him to experiment with different grape varieties and techniques, and each vintage continues to improve.
The Lorraine wine region, located in northeastern France, is relatively under-the-radar compared to its famous neighbors, Alsace and Champagne. Despite its close proximity to these prestigious regions, Lorraine's wine history and reputation are much less celebrated, though it has a rich winemaking tradition dating back to Roman times. Lorraine's terroir is characterized by a cooler climate, though warming trends are creating more favorable conditions for grape growing. The soils are a mix of limestone, clay, and marl, providing a diverse base for the cultivation of several grape varieties. Traditionally, the region is known for varieties like Pinot Noir, Auxerrois, and Gamay, which thrive in these cooler conditions, producing fresh, mineral-driven wines with lively acidity. While wine production in Lorraine is relatively small-scale, there are several appellations to note, such as Côtes de Toul and Moselle, both of which produce high-quality wines, particularly crisp whites, light reds, and sparkling wines. Stéphane's work is emblematic of a new generation of winemakers who are focusing on organic, low-intervention practices, aiming to put Lorraine on the map as a noteworthy wine-producing region.
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In 2021, Dominique Belluard, a trailblazing winemaker from the Savoie region, tragically passed away at age 55. His friend Jean-Francois Ganevat, a renowned Jura winemaker, finished the vinification of Belluard’s 2020 vintage, which may be the domain’s final release. The wine features the rare Gringet grape, which Belluard championed for still wines rather than the sparkling styles it was traditionally reserved for. His efforts reshaped perceptions of the grape and earned him global recognition for his mastery of Gringet’s unique expression in Savoie.
Ayze is a small appellation within the Savoie wine region of France, known for its sparkling wines made primarily from the rare Gringet grape. Located in the foothills of the Alps, Ayze's high-altitude vineyards benefit from a cool climate and limestone-rich soils, which give the wines a distinctive freshness and minerality. Traditionally, Ayze has been associated with méthode ancestrale sparkling wines, known for their lively acidity and crisp, citrusy flavors. Dominique Belluard was a key figure in elevating Ayze’s reputation, particularly for his innovative work with Gringet.
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