2009 Ruinart - Brut Rose Dom Ruinart (750ml)
Ruinart holds the distinction of being the oldest established Champagne house, founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart at the urging of his uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart, a friend of Dom Pérignon who saw early promise in sparkling wine from the region. The house built its identity around Chardonnay, favoring a reductive winemaking style that uses gentle pneumatic pressing and nitrogen protection to preserve freshness. Its cellars, carved into the chalk beneath Reims, are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The 2009 growing season began with hail, rain, and wind disrupting flowering, but a dry, temperate summer that followed allowed the grapes to ripen fully by the mid-September harvest. The finished wine draws on Grand Cru Chardonnay from villages including Cramant, Avize, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, blended with a smaller portion of red Pinot Noir from Aÿ, then aged eleven years in the house's chalk cellars before a light dosage was applied.
The color is a soft pink with raspberry highlights, opening with cinnamon, ginger, and blood orange before turning floral with violet and peony. The palate is full-bodied and saline, with real structure. Pair it with grilled mackerel or a spice-rubbed roast chicken.