Dom Ruinart at Cru

Cru

24 5th Avenue,

New York, NY 10011

Phone: +1 212 529 1700

October 2008

I have been to Cru twice in the last few months, and have enjoyed terrific meals both times. This dinner was quite special as it featured a large number of Ruinart Champagnes paired with the brilliant cuisine of Chef Shea Gallante. All of the dishes worked beautifully with the food.

The dinner was organized by Bobby Schagrin, Managing Partner of Crush Wine and Spirits in New York City. Ruinart's Chef de Caves Frederic Panaïotis provided much insight into the wines of Champagne’s oldest house. Many of the bottles were among the last remaining examples in Ruinart’s cellars. Schagrin and collector Bruce Fingeret also contributed a few super-rare bottles from the 1960s to round out some of the flights, making this tasting one that is not likely to be repeated any time soon. Needless to say, this was a great opportunity to evaluate a number of wines, and perhaps even more importantly, to check in on the evolution of some of the estate’s most famous vintages.

Dom Ruinart is a Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) made from fruit sourced in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, which contribute minerality and structure respectively. The wines undergo full malolactic fermentation in steel. Over the years dosage levels have come down considerably. In the 1960s dosage was around 15 grams, in the 1970s and 1980s 10-12 grams was normal, while today the wines see around 7-8 grams of dosage.

For the most part, the wines showed beautifully. The house style is one of elegance and restraint. Even in the finest vintages Dom Ruinart is always one of the more subdued and understated Champagnes on the market. Among the wines of the 1990s, I especially liked the 1993 Dom Ruinart, which was beautiful, especially considering this was an original disgorgement. Layers of honeyed fruit, licorice and mint were woven together in a captivating fabric. We also caught this wine at near peak, as it was firing on all cylinders. What a beautiful wine. The 1996 Dom Ruinart was its usual extroverted self. Constantly changing in the glass, it revealed a rich, weighty frame packed with fruit. Though quite gorgeous today, the 1996 could use another few years in bottle. The 1998 Dom Ruinart was pretty for its spiced, tropical fruits and elegant personality. The 1990 Dom Ruinart (original release) was also pretty, although it revealed a slightly flabby and unfocused personality compared to the more vibrant wines of the night.

The 1988 Dom Ruinart (original release) was wonderfully complete, with layers of ash, smoke, minerals, licorice and hazelnuts that swirled around in the glass, while the 1981 Dom Ruinart (disgorged September 2008) offered an intriguing mix of hazelnuts, smoke, toffee and earthiness balanced by the freshness of its recent disgorgement. This, too, was a gorgeous bottle.

I thought the 1978 Dom Ruinart (disgorged September 2008) was the strongest of the wines from the 1970s. It revealed a liqueur-like sweetness in its perfumed fruit and ethereal, irresistible personality. The 1975 Dom Ruinart was another star. This generous, expansive Champagne blossomed on the palate, with tons of fruit and gorgeous overall balance. The 1973 Dom Ruinart (original release) was fully resolved. Honey, roasted nuts and licorice emerged from this soft, creamy wine. Unfortunately the 1979 Dom Ruinart was corked.

The 1969 Dom Ruinart was one of the most pleasant surprises of the night. An explosive, generous Champagne, the wine offered tons of fruit with compelling inner sweetness and remarkable depth. This pure, precise wine was sublime and hinted that it might very well continue to improve in bottle. The 1966 Dom Ruinart was fully resolved, with a creamy mousse and plenty of smoky, honeyed tones. Its bubbles mostly gone, this Champagne was more wine-like than anything else we tasted. How sad it was that the 1964 Dom Ruinart was corked!

We then turned our attention to the estate’s Dom Ruinart Rosé, which is made with 15-20% Pinot Noir sourced from the towns of Verzy, Verzenay and Sillery, all in the northern part of the Montagne de Reims. Dom Ruinart Rosé is a fascinating wine capable of considerable development. With time in bottle, the Pinot elements emerge and the wine tends to put on quite a bit of weight. The 1979 Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum) was simply spectacular as it came alive in the glass, revealing tons of depth in its red cherries, flowers and spices. The Pinot notes were on full display here. The 1990 Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum) was another showstopper. This big, opulent wine revealed an expansive personality, with tons of fruit and impeccable balance. I loved the 1986 Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum) for the way it shimmed on the palate with bright, focused fruit. This pure, precise wine was gorgeous and still capable of further development. The 1985 Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum) was somewhat cool and restrained, yet showed lovely poise and plenty of perfumed fruit. It came across as a wine with limited further upside potential. Some of the wines weren’t quite as impressive, including the 1988 Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum) which was less complex and interesting on the palate than its gorgeous aromas had initially suggested. A corked 1976 Dom Ruinart Rosé was heartbreaking. Still, this was an exceptional night of food and wine that showed the heights Ruinart can reach with its top vintage Champagnes.

Food: 

Amuse Bouche; Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, Spicy Maple

Salad of Baby Beets; Sicilian Pistachio, Trout Caviar, Aged Balsamic

Celery Root Veloute; Quince, Pancetta, Roasted Almond, White Chocolate

Carolina Sea Bass; Matsukake, Romanesco, Cider Vinaigrette

Handrolled Fuzi; Confit Pheasant, Gaeta Olive, Ricotta Salata

Veal; Sweetbread, Loin, Crépinette, Asparagus

Honey Apple Strudel; Crispy Phyllo, Walnut Croquant, Caramel Ice Cream

Wine:     

1998	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	90
1996	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	93
1993	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	94
1990	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	90
1988	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	93
1981	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	92
1979	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	?
1978	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	94
1975	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	93
1973	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	92
1969	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	94
1966	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	92
1964	Ruinart Dom Ruinart	?
1985	Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum)	91
1976	Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum)	?
1979	Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum)	94
1988	Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum)	89
1986	Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum)	92
1990	Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé (magnum)	94

--Antonio Galloni