With a bottle of Champagne Ruinart begins a journey back in time to the origins of the famous sparkling wine; founded in 1727 Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house still in existence today. The house was established by Nicolas Irénee Ruinart. He was a nephew of Dom Ruinart, a Benedictine monk from the same community that was home to the legendary monk and alleged father of the Methode Champenoise Dom Perignon. This is how Nicolas came to know the secrets of sparkling wine. From 1735, the second pillar, a cloth trade, was finally abandoned and the family devoted itself exclusively to the production of Champagnes. These were already at that time of a quality that enabled delivery to the royal and princely courts in Europe, and also to Empress Joséphine. Ruinart is certainly not one of the large Champagne houses, just about 150,000 cases are produced annually, but it remains one of the best known and most popular. Ruinart cultivates 14 hectares of vineyards itself, the rest of its requirements are purchased, as is customary in Champagne, from reliable winemakers who know the philosophy of the house. Most of the cuvées feature more Pinot Noir, which gives the Champagnes a creamy, vinous character that critics consistently praise. At the top is the Noble cuvée "Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs," a tribute to the uncle of company founder Nicolas Ruinart. This is a premium Champagne that only shows its true greatness after a few years of ageing. Ruinart itself points out, however, that a certain maturing time does all Champagnes from its house a lot of good.
