Yves Ruffin

The champagne house of Yves Ruffin was founded in 1971 by Yves Ruffin and his wife Odette Pitois in Avenay-Val-d'Or, a Premier Cru village between the Vallée de la Marne and the Montagne de Reims. Both came from families who had been growing vines for decades. The founding year of 1971 also marks the switch to organic farming, not 1970, as some texts claim.

Family and vineyards

When Yves retired, his son Thierry took over the house. In 2008 his wife Sylvie succeeded him, and after her came their son Antonin, who since 2021 has represented the third generation of the growing family. Antonin Ruffin is today also named as the cellar master for the cuvées.

The small family estate covers 2.80 hectares in the Premier Cru villages of Avenay-Val-d'Or and Tauxières-Mutry. The half hectare in Tauxières-Mutry was added to allow more bottles to be produced. According to the association of organic champagne growers, the vineyards are planted with 55 per cent Pinot Noir and 45 per cent Chardonnay.

Organic from the very beginning

From the outset, Yves Ruffin rejected the then-new pesticides, which makes him one of the pioneers of organic viticulture in Champagne. He relied on historical methods: the plough against weeds and Bordeaux mixture against disease. The entire estate is now certified organic.

Since 1971, all the wines have been made in barrels and foudres of oak and acacia. They then age in a cellar dug into the chalk by hand.

Cuvées, visits and tasting

The range includes, among others, these cuvées:

• Racines: made exclusively from reserve wines of 2012 to 2017, roughly 75 per cent Chardonnay and 25 per cent Pinot Noir from a solera, dosage 3 g/l.
• Jardin: 2015 vintage, 100 per cent Chardonnay from the parcels Les Robins and Les Demoiselles, dosage 2 g/l, 1,200 bottles.
• L'Aspirant: 2022 harvest, half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir, dosage 3 g/l.

There is also an Extra Brut made from equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as a Demi-Sec. In total, around 10,000 bottles are produced each year.

Visits and tastings are by appointment only. The address is 6 Boulevard Jules Ferry, 51160 Avenay-Val-d'Or, and the house can be reached by email at bonjour@champagneyvesruffin.fr.