Ruinart

The house Ruinart was founded on 1 September 1729. A cloth merchant named Nicolas Ruinart (1697-1769) used to offer his customers wine from his vineyard as well as cloth. His uncle was Dom Thierry Ruinart (1657-1709), a monk who originally belonged to the Benedictine order Congrégation de S.Maur.

In 1682, Dom Ruinart was appointed assistant to Dom Jean Mabillon at Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. Under Mabillon he learnt the Greek language and at the same time developed a great interest in the history of the martyrs. In his search for valid records, he visited numerous abbeys in Alsace and Lorraine. Later, Dom Thierry Ruinart helped to compile the Acta Sanctorum of the Benedictines. At the time of his stay at the famous abbey in Hautvillers (together with the famous monk Dom Pérignon), the highly educated Dom Ruinart had long been regarded as a very prominent monk.

Dom Ruinart suddenly fell ill in Hautvillers and died there after 17 days of illness at the age of just 52. He was then buried in the abbey church. Inspired by his prominent uncle, Nicolas Ruinart dedicated himself to the Benedictine monks' wine-making techniques, which were considered to be excellent. The demand for his fine wine grew steadily until it ultimately outstripped the demand for his cloth.

From 1764 onwards, his son Claude Ruinart (1731-1798) was an indispensable assistant to him in both the production and the now lively trade in Ruinart wines. Nicolas traditionally extended the name of the house to Ruinart Père et Fils.

After the death of Nicolas (1769), his son Claude moved the company's headquarters from Epernay to Reims. Claude Ruinart built up the trade of his Champagne and at the same time established valuable political connections at the French royal court. His eldest son, Irénée Ruinart (1770-1850), proved, like his father, to be extraordinarily enterprising and politically skilful in the turbulent environment of the French Revolution. His clients included prominent figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Joachim Murat (King of Naples), Joseph Bonaparte (King of Spain at the time) and the famous Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Perigord.

In 1817, he was raised to the nobility by Louis XVIII and from then on was considered 'Vicomte de Brimont', deputy for the Marne region as well as mayor of Reims. In this dignified office, Irénée Ruinart also attended the (last) coronation of a French king (Charles X) in the cathedral of Reims.

In 1826, his son Edmond Ruinart took over the reins of the company. During his tenure, Edmond Ruinart succeeded in elevating the house of Ruinart to the ranks of the absolute world class. He greatly expanded the house's champagne market share in Russia and sailed to the USA on a three-master. There he met (with a case of the finest Ruinart champagne in his luggage) with the (seventh) President of the USA, Andrew Jackson, in the 'White House'.

Trade travelling was also in his son Edgar Ruinart's blood. For example, he embarked on an adventurous (at the time) journey to St. Petersburg for an audience with the Tsar. Edgar Ruinart thus further strengthened the market share of the Ruinart company in Russia.

His equally daring son André Ruinart was an avid fan of flying. Under his leadership, the Ruinart company sponsored the first major air race across the English Channel. The hard times of the world war followed. During the Great Battle of the Marne, the company buildings were completely destroyed. According to author Tom Stevenson, André Ruinart then moved his office to the famous deep chalk shafts of the Ruinart house (these fantastic crayères from Gallo-Roman times are now listed buildings). But during an attack, a large water pipe was damaged, flooding the tunnels (including his office). The resourceful André quickly built a raft and continued his business activities deep in the tunnels. Until 1963, the management of Ruinart remained entirely in the hands of the founding family. In the meantime, a favourable relationship with the prestigious Baron Phillipe de Rothschild company strengthened Ruinart. It was then taken over by the famous house Moët & Chandon and later became part of the luxury group LVMH.

The outstanding quality and individuality of the Ruinart house has been maintained over the centuries to this day. Connoisseur and author Michael Edwards describes Ruinart champagnes as follows: "The champagnes from Ruinart are particularly fine and elegant, but also possess full-bodied flavour and body..."
The Ruinart estate is closely associated with the noble Chardonnay grape variety and owns 15 hectares of Chardonnay vines on the eastern slopes of the Montagne de Reims. Michael Edwards notes that these Chardonnay grapes are far more 'powerful' in flavour than their counterparts from the Côte de Blancs region. Ruinart champagnes have a lot of character and therefore also harmonise well with those heartier dishes that would dominate the flavour of many other champagnes.

The vintage-free 'R' de Ruinart is made from 45% Chardonnay and 55% Pinot Noir. This champagne rests for four years in the bottle on the lees, deep in the Ruinart limestone vats. This contributes to a particularly fine effervescence and at the same time gives this champagne a unique, floral bouquet.
Vintage champagnes 'R' de Ruinart have approximately 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir.
The vintage champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is recognised by connoisseurs worldwide as one of the best Blanc de Blancs from Champagne. This champagne is bottled in the classic shape.
The rosé champagne from Ruinart is also noteworthy. The Dom Ruinart Rosé is also a vintage champagne, which - like the Blanc de Blancs - is made from the best Chardonnay grapes, but also contains around 20% red wine (Bouzy Rouge). In terms of strength, it is remotely reminiscent of a Burgundy, but it also has a special elegance and finesse that can only be achieved with the best Chardonnay grapes.
There is also the non-vintage 'R' de Ruinart Rosé, which is a comparatively simpler but nevertheless very high-quality rosé.

It should also be noted that Ruinart launched a professional competition for sommeliers in 1997

Initially, this competition was only organised in France. Since the mid-1980s, this competition has also been held in numerous other countries. The aim is to select the best young sommelier and honour them with the coveted Trophée Ruinart.

 

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