Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2006 750ml

Wine Advocate #244, Aug 31, 2019 by William Kelley
The 24th rendition of this cuvée since its debut with the 1969, the 2006 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is showing well, bursting with aromas of blanched almonds, confit citrus, fresh pastry, smoke and iodine. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with a broad attack but sappy balancing acids, the warm vintage making for a textural, vinous wine that nonetheless concludes with a chalky, precise finish. It was disgorged in October 2016 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter.

Ruinart is a low profile, yet select, Champagne house which is steeped in history. It dates back to the 17th century, the time of the famous Dom Pérignon. It was founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart in the city of Reims, the year after a Royal Decree in 1728 whereby Louis XV gave his consent for sparkling wines to be shipped in baskets containing 50 to 100 bottles.
This opened the gates of Europe to champagne and thus makes Ruinart the oldest Champagne House. Nicolas' uncle was Dom Thierry Ruinart, close friend to Dom Pérignon himself and an inspiration behind the creation of this house after the Dom’s death. Its Gallo-Roman chalk cellars are now a UNESCO-classified historical monument and every two years the finest sommeliers in Europe gather there to compete for the Trophée Ruinart.
Since the second world war the house has become synonymous with class and its production of only 1.7 million bottles per annum is small compared to other grande marques. It is now part of the LVMH group that also owns Moët & Chandon.