Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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Bought directly from Moët Hennessy, the bottles are stored in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, in ideal conditions at a constant 13°C. For same-day deliveries, small quantities are kept in our office cellar, where the temperature is maintained between 11–13°C. We source all our bottles directly from the Maison or their official UK office, eliminating the risk of poor storage. This is crucial, as champagne quality is highly sensitive to heat: temperatures above 18°C accelerate maturity significantly, which compromises quality.
The prestige cuvée of Champagne Ruinart, Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is a Grand Cru only, pure-Chardonnay blend. With grapes sourced predominantly from the Côte des Blancs, this cuvée is a firm and muscular champagne with a reductive style that rewards patience if left in the cellar. The 2002 vintage is one of the best Dom Ruinart's ever created.
Weather: The 2002 vintage shaped up magnificently over the spring, with no significant frost and near-perfect flowering. Then followed a summer marked by long, sunny periods interspersed with regular cloudy and rainy spells. The vines were in good health and the dehydration of the grape berries helped them reach new heights of ripeness. Generally considered one of the best harvests in the last twenty years.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | 72% Côte des Blancs: Avize, Chouilly | 28% Montagne de Reims: Puisieulx, Sillery
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Ageing: 6 years on the lees
Disgorged: September 2012
Dosage: 6.5 g/l
Drink: Now to 2030
Tasting Note: This is one of the finest Blanc de Blancs champagnes on the market. A vibrant, clear yellow colour with aromas of fresh plums and nashi pears. The freshness of citrus and tropical fruit culminates in the mouth and the result is a focused purity of exceptional length. The all chardonnay champagne is now entering a great phase where it starts to develop those characteristic creamy patisserie shop aromas and flavours. The distinctive clear bottle for Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is based on an 18th century original and its Chardonnay persona is harmonious and elegant, capturing the House style.
Although not the oldest wine estate in the region, Ruinart holds the title of the oldest established Champagne House. Dom Thierry Ruinart, friend and confidant of Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon, foretold that the new "wine with bubbles" being developed in his native region of Champagne was destined for a bright future and encouraged his nephew Nicolas Ruinart to enter the trade. When Louis XV declared that champagne could henceforth be sold in bottles instead of barrels, Nicolas heeded his uncle's advice and founded Champagne Ruinart in 1729.
Famed for their affinity for the white-grape variety, Chardonnay dominates the blend in all of Ruinart's finest cuvées, even their prestige rosé. Favouring the reductive style, they use a pneumatic press to guard the juice against oxidation and deploy nitrogen gas to protect the wine at every production stage. They are also adverse to oak and vinify all of their wines in stainless-steel tanks. Cosmopolitan and savvy, Ruinart produce approachable, muscular and vinous champagnes that deserve recognition beyond the trade industry within which they are currently most well-known.
The longest-established Champagne house of all, Ruinart has an affinity with chardonnay's freshness, finesse and elegance and all of its finest cuvées lead with this variety, even its prestige rosé. ""We hate oxygen!"" declares Frederic Panaïotis, Chef de Cave; Ruinart use a pneumatic press to guard the juice against oxidation and nitrogen gas to protect the wine at every production stage. They are also adverse to oak; vinification only takes place in stainless steel. This meticulous attention to detail along with the distinctive rounded bottles, give Ruinart its well-deserved reputation. Ruinart's Crayeres were dug by hand - the deepest measuring 38 meters in height beneath the vault - and their numerous tunnels criss-cross over a length of more than eight kilometres.
Cellar Master: Frédéric Panaïotis
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): Undisclosed
Chef de Cave History at Champagne Ruinart:
Frédéric Panaïotis - 2007 to current | He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of champagne production, from grape selection to the final blend. Panaïotis is known for his work on the 2010 vintage, which was the first time Ruinart aged its prestige cuvée entirely under cork rather than a crown cap. He also played a key role in the development of Ruinart's rosé champagne and has a deep appreciation for the Japanese market.
Jean-François Barot - 1985 to 2003 | He was at the helm during the development of some key vintages, including the 1998 and 2002.
Bertrand Mure - 1947 - 1967 | He was the cellarmaster who created the first Dom Ruinart in 1959.
Frédéric Panaïotis - 2007 to current | He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of champagne production, from grape selection to the final blend. Panaïotis is known for his work on the 2010 vintage, which was the first time Ruinart aged its prestige cuvée entirely under cork rather than a crown cap. He also played a key role in the development of Ruinart's rosé champagne and has a deep appreciation for the Japanese market.
Bernard Peillon - 2004 to 2007 | After Barot’s departure, Bernard Peillon assumed top leadership responsibilities at Ruinart. He effectively bridged the gap between Barot and Frédéric Panaïotis and oversaw major structural and stylistic continuity during that transitional era.
Jean-François Barot - 1985 to 2003 | He was at the helm during the development of some key vintages, including the 1998 and 2002.
Bertrand Mure - 1947 - 1967 | He was the cellarmaster who created the first Dom Ruinart in 1959.
Expert Reviews
18/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Tasted blind. Hint of ginger beer on the nose. Quite dense and tight. Longer than the other one (that turned out to be the 2004), and a little more savoury. More potential.”
19/20
Nick Baker TFB Founder
“Bright citrus and apple fruit, lead in further layers of dried apricots, lemon, grapefruit with power and weight on palate. Has a chalky feel to a velvety texture, it is big and vibrant and reaches every corner of the palate. A few minutes later there is a creamy patisserie character. Really moreish, no rush to drink this vintage, there are many years ahead, though it is in a lovely place in Nov 2023.”
17.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Disgorged September 2012. RS 6.5 g/l. Supplied by Moët Hennessy UK. Tasted blind. Pale gold. Less obvious nose than the Belle Epoque it was served with but it opened out and became broader. Very frothy and savoury. Some sweetness. I don’t immediately recognise this but I like the length. Very tense and tight. More obvious acidity than the Belle Epoque led me to wonder whether it was Lanson.”
94/100
Essi Avellan MW
“In this rich and ripe vintage of Dom Ruinart, Cote des Blancs Chardonnay from Avize is complemented by almost a third of Montagne de Reims fruit from Puisieulx and Sillery. It has a youthfully pale straw colour. Its soft, creamy, elegantly floral nose comes with notes of sweet fruit, plus lovely vanilla and pear-drop touches. The palate comes with a spicy twist over opulent but fresh fruitiness. Creamy, mellow and caressing until the very long finish.”
94/100
Richard Juhlin
“More about structural fascination than aromatic pleasure. With its high acidity and simultaneously rich and impressive depth, this is reminiscent of the heroic 1996, and is equipped to develop far into the future.”
18/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Deluxe Blanc de Blancs. Really lifted nose with a lovely silky texture. Despite the low dosage (6.5 g/l) there's a certain richness of fruit underneath. This is a very good vintage! Still extremely tight with lots more to give.”
97/100
Antonio Galloni
“Still a stunner, the 2002 Dom Ruinart is just as gorgeous as it has always been. Warm, toasty notes meld into apricots, succulent peaches, white flowers and spices in a rich, expansive Champagne that captures the essence of the year. The 2002 is pure, full-throttle opulence, yet all the elements are very much in balance. A creamy, resonant finish rounds things out in style. Multiple tastings have shown that the 2002 is shutting down in bottle, so my suggestion is to be patient. What a gorgeous wine this is. This bottle was disgorged in March 2012.”
17.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Tasted blind. Pale copper colour. Very savoury and refreshing on the nose. Racy acidity and maturity. Complex food wine. Positively nourishing!”
95/100
Wine Enthusiast
“*A Top 100 Cellar Selection of 2013* A superb, mature wine that is ripe, toasty and full of yellow- and white-fruit flavors. A fine balance brings up spice, an opulent texture, a taut edge of steel and a feeling that this fine wine is ready to drink. It can age, and it will be better over the next few years as its secondary aromas stay in balance with the fruitiness.”
95/100
Wine & Spirits
“Taking the masculine power of the 2002 vintage and running with it, this comes across as massive and powerful, all of its swagger suspended by a team of needling bubbles. Oak furthers the structural intensity, as does an almost tannic leesiness, wrapped in flavors that range from vanilla custard to fresh macadamia nut. The final impression is sumptuous, tasting enough like wild mushrooms and lobster to match a dish combining the two. For now, it’s best left to rest in the cellar.”
94/100
Stephen Tanzer
“Vivid gold. A heady bouquet displays scents of ripe orchard fruits, honeydew, candied citrus fruits and white flowers, along with powerful smoke and mineral nuances and a hint of vanilla. Lush, creamy and broad, displaying surprising vivacity to its intense pear, melon and orange flavors. The smoke and vanilla notes repeat on the finish, which shows superb power, focus and length. There's no hurry to drink this Champagne but it's awfully delicious right now.”
96/100
Wine Spectator
“Shows beautiful, lacy texture, weaving persistent and mouthwatering acidity with flavors of patisserie pear, dried aprioct, almond paste, pickled ginger, acacia blossom and clover honey. This is underscored by a rich note of smoky minerality that rings out on the finish. Drink now through 2030.”
97/100
Antonio Galloni
“Now with another year of bottle age, the 2002 Brut Dom Ruinart is even better than it was last year. A huge bouquet of smoke, roasted almonds, nutmeg and graphite melds into layers of huge, exotic, super-ripe fruit. The 2002 has more than enough pure density and richness to fill out its broad shoulders nicely. It remains a big, powerful wine endowed with tons of pure structure. I can’t wait to see how the 2002 ages. It is without question one of the truly great wines ever made at this historic maison. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2032.”
As a winemaker, Ruinart Chef de Cave Frédéric Panaïotis is excited by vintage 2018, "a year of extremes." However, as a human, he's worried about what it signifies for our changing climate. We tasted the vins clairs from this exceptional year at the house in Reims.
Chef de Cave Frédéric Panaïotis talked us through the 2017 vintage for Champagne Ruinart. Although a difficult year for Pinots, we tasted some stunning Chardonnay vins clairs and sampled the upcoming Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2007.
