Julien is native from the region, coming from a winemaking family, nephew of excellent maker Jean Louis Grippat. He did not start his career in wine since his uncle sold the vineyards to Guigal in 1998. In his quest for a happy life, he ditched tailored suits and ties for overalls and wellies; making a U turn in 2008 and retrained.

Nancy is from Houston, Texas. She started her winemaking life in Marlborough - New Zealand followed by Napa Valley. She then qualified and worked as a sommelier. They met in San Francisco.

Nancy and Julien are also some of the nicest people I have met in my career and a tasting in their cellar is always a highlight for me. Always left them enriched by our discussion. On my first encounter with them a couple of vintages after their first release, I was instantly attracted to their personality, vision, and the quality of their young wines.

What they have achieved in the last 10 years is remarkable.

From two plots of vines in Saint Joseph, they have spread their wings a little further. They now produce wines in Saint Péray, Cornas, Saint Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and a myriad of super tasty vin de pays.

They are not resting on their laurels, caring for the land with the utmost respect for the environment and biodiversity. They have gained organic certification in 2022 and are applying biodynamic farming too.