Ruinart is one of Champagne's oldest houses, founded by Nicholas Ruinart in 1729, himself a descendent of Dom Thierry Ruinart, the other "Dom" responsible for so much of the early viticultural progress of the appellation. Only Gosset is older, but apparently Ruinart was first to base his business on sparkling, rather than still Champagne. This Blanc de Blancs is made exclusively from Grand and Premier Cru Chardonnay, much of which is estate fruit from the biggest land-holder in all of Champagne: Ruinart's parent company LVMH. The feature that sets this stainless steel fermented wine apart from other Blanc de Blancs is the combination of grapes from both the Côtes de Blancs and the Montagne de Reims, giving it a more rounded style. I find some chalky minerality in this Champagne, but also lychee fruit and texture. It seems sweeter than the claimed dosage of 8 grams per liter.
