“The thing about champagne, you say,
unfoiling the cork, unwinding the wire restraint, is that is the ultimate
associative object. Every time you open a bottle of champagne, it’s a
celebration, so there’s no better way of starting a celebration than opening a
bottle of champagne. Every time you sip it, you’re sipping from all those other
celebrations. The joy accumulates over time.” …. David Levithan (American Writer).
With
an average retail price of $70 U.S., (though you can find it, occasionally in
the $50s), I’ll concede this is not my everyday Champagne, albeit my
favorite. Ruinart is the oldest
established Champagne house, exclusively producing champagne since 1729. This “Blanc de Blancs” (white of white) is 100%
Chardonnay. Champagne, however, IS WINE and
it presents itself, as does other wine, in many forms. “Blanc de Noirs” (White
of Black – white wine from red grapes) can be a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot
Meunier, or simply Pinot Noir. It may
come as vintage or as a blend of several years (non-vintage). And then there is the dosage – the
measurement of sweetness injected into the wine after disgorgement that
determines its finish as an unsweet to sweet dessert wine with gradients in-between. So, while I must admit this Ruinart Blanc De
Blancs is, for me, a special occasion wine, it is so only because of its price
and my economic status. Many Champagnes
cost less (though, for me, few deliver more).
The
point being, it is wrong to categorize Champagne (mind lock it) as celebration wine. With all the styles in which Champagne may present
itself, one could easily serve different styles of Champagne throughout each
course of a grand meal: from the aperitif to and including dessert just as you
do with wine. It’s Champagne’s
association with celebration that has stunted its sales growth here, limited
its appreciation and given rise to that horrid image of pop, cheer and laugh as
the wine foams out of the bottle and then gets served.
In
fact, Champagne’s natural acidity makes it a natural for food pairing. Try a rose with salmon. Try a Blanc de Blancs with chicken (even
fried), oysters, creamy cheeses, shellfish, linguine with white clam sauce,
caviar and appetizers containing caviar, salty foods and dishes made with cream
sauces, steamed, fried or grilled seafood (as long as the sauce is not
overpowering).
I
recently enjoyed this wine with a “crab fest” of steamed King Crab Legs and
Dungeness crab clusters, grilled shrimp, saffron dusted scallops (a mistake)
and a spinach soufflé.
SO WHY SHOULD YOU ENJOY THIS WINE?
To
begin, Ruinart opens with a soft pssst, not a loud pop – the mark of well-made
Champagne (be certain to chill any bottle so as to reduce the pressure when
opening). Pour this luminous, glistening
Champagne – the color of golden straw – into the glass and notice that the mousse
is not aggressive. Such excessiveness –
for me – just gets in the way. No,
everything about this Champagne is finessed. Bubbles are extremely fine and
shockingly persistent, carrying to the glass’s rim all the aroma and palate
pleasing tastes one could hope for.
The
unique chalkiness of the soil that these Chardonnay vines grow in and the cool
climate of the area assure perfect expression of the acidity in these grapes from
Ruinart’s estate vineyards in Sillery and Brimont (the ancestral home of the Ruinart
family) and from premiers crus only in the Cote des Blancs and the Montagne de
Reims. Using only the best of recent vintages, these are blended with 20-25% reserve
wines.
Ruinart
maintains chalk quarries deep underground the city of Reims where the wine
rests after first sitting on its lees for four years after the second
fermentation. The result is a crisp but
rounded and creamy wine that is a study in elegance. Malolactic conversion provides rich
creaminess to the mouthfeel, but the wine remains crisp and cleansing. For a Champagne, it is surprisingly full
bodied, while yet being lightened by its citrus character and delicate mousse
kept fresh with the most persistent of very fine bubbles. On the nose: hints of toast, honey,
butterscotch and almond play with notes of white flower and green apple. The palate delights in brioche, lemon crème, and
hazelnut. Lychee adds an exotic touch.
While apparent, none of these flavors are brutish, instead they are
suggested. A hint of cantaloupe? The
fruit emerges through the sharp acidity which, itself, is opposed by amazing
creaminess.
Other
tasters refer to poached white peach, lemon meringue pie, angel food cake, butter
cookie, lemon peel hints and jasmine. Different words, I think, for essentially the
same experience. All appreciate the
minerality in the finish of this wine.
If
you still believe that Champagne is fit only for celebrating occasions, perhaps
you’ll begin to consider that Champagne can make any occasion special and any meal an occasion.
Sante!
…………….
Jim
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palate.
ETCETERA:
Ruinart, founded by Nicolas Ruinart in
the Champagne region in the city of Reims in 1729, is now owned by luxury goods
conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy).
Ratings:
James Suckling 93
Wine Spectator: 92
Wine Enthusiast: 92
Robert Parker: 90
Awards
Munis Vini 2014: Gold
Munis Vini 2015: Silver
Munis Vini 2016: Gold
Producer: Champagne Ruinart ruinart.com
Imported By: Moet Hennessy USA, Inc. (NY, NY)
ALC: 12.5%
Dosage: 8g (Brut)
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