From its first vintage of 1966 this wine has consistently been a winner and in top vintages is outstanding. This vintage owes its unique character to its selection of grapes from only Grand Cru rated vineyards. The wine is from 80% Chardonnay and pressed and fermented like the Blanc de Blancs. The Pinot Noir, which makes up 20% is from the Grand Cru village of Verzenay and Sillery, it was macerated with the skins for 9 days before pressing to extract good colour and soft fruit tannins. The result of blending in this red wine gives a rosé with a vibrant, deep coral colour.

Weather: 1990 began with the harvest experiencing a damp and mild winter resulting in early bud burst. However, the vines became susceptible to spring frosts and this affected almost 12,000 hectares. An intense sunshine and heat during the days, combined with cool nights helped create amazing grapes with a great acidity level.  Rated one of the greatest Dom Ruinart Rosé vintages, orange hints in the pink colour, a bold nose with truffles, toasty aromas but with underlying hints of strawberries. On the palate very ripe red fruits compliment hints of orange peel and citrus fruits. In magnum, the ageing of the Rosé has allowed the flavours to develop and remain youthful, even though it is now 27 years since harvest.

Technical Information:
Grape Varieties: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir
Dosage: 5.5 g/L
Drink: Now to 2025

Tasting Note: Bold aromas of red currants and blackberries on the nose, a sweeter palate that is dense and opulent. The maturity of this rosé is evident and it shows with bundles of strawberries mixed with toasted brioche notes on the palate. The champagne is now drinking about at the peak of its maturity and likely at its peak for a few years; drink now.

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