Ruinart
Summary
Founded in 1729, Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house in Reims, producing a focused range of Chardonnay-based wines from premier vineyards in the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs' chalk-rich soils. The house maintains traditional methods in their Roman-era chalk cellars, combining hand-riddling for prestige cuvées with modern techniques, while emphasizing extended lees aging and complete malolactic fermentation across their portfolio.
Heritage & Leadership
Ruinart holds the distinction of being the first established Champagne house, founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart in Reims. The house began as an extension of the family's cloth merchant business, with Nicolas following the vision of his uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart, a Benedictine monk who had recognized the potential of sparkling wine. The house remained family-owned until 1963, when it was acquired by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Frédéric Panaiotis serves as Chef de Cave, directing all aspects of wine production and maintaining the house's stylistic continuity. The historic chalk cellars (crayères) beneath Reims, dating to the Roman era, were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015 as part of 'Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars'.
Vineyards & Wines
Ruinart sources grapes primarily from vineyards in the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs, with Chardonnay serving as the foundational variety for the house style. The ancient chalk quarries beneath Reims, extending 40 meters deep, provide ideal aging conditions at a constant 11°C with 90% humidity. The chalk cellars comprise a network of galleries totaling eight kilometers in length. The house maintains a focused portfolio centered on Blanc de Blancs, with additional cuvées including Dom Ruinart and Ruinart Rosé.
Philosophy & Practice
Ruinart's winemaking philosophy emphasizes extended aging on lees in their historic chalk cellars. The house employs traditional hand-riddling for prestige cuvées while utilizing modern gyropalettes for other wines. Temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks are used for primary fermentation, allowing precise control over the vinification process. The house maintains a distinctive clear glass bottle design for their standard releases, while the prestige Dom Ruinart cuvée uses an historic bottle shape based on 18th-century examples. All wines undergo malolactic fermentation to ensure consistency and stability.