Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne

A very appealing style that captures the elegance of chardonnay in a way that is still immensely satisfying. The aromas are all based around lemon, grapefruit, fresh floral notes and stone fruits. The palate delivers a ripe impression, flavorsome and full, with peach custard and lemon brulée. Acidity is nicely placed below. Drink now.

92 points jamessuckling.com

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut is the purest expression of this historic house’s Chardonnay-driven style. Ruinart, founded in 1729, was the first Champagne maison and has become synonymous with finesse, luminous fruit, and impeccable balance. This cuvée is crafted entirely from Chardonnay sourced mainly from Premier Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, regions renowned for producing grapes with precision, minerality, and delicate floral aromatics. Blanc de Blancs is considered the heart of the Ruinart range and showcases the house’s signature elegance in its most unadorned form.

In the glass, the wine gleams a radiant pale gold with soft green reflections, its clarity catching the light beautifully. A stream of tiny, persistent bubbles rises in a fine bead, forming a refined, creamy mousse. The nose is expressive and vibrant, opening with aromas of lemon zest, white peach, pear, and green apple, layered with notes of acacia blossom, chalk, and freshly baked brioche. On the palate, it is precise, silky, and intensely mineral, with citrus and stone fruit flavours wrapped around a core of chalky tension. The texture is creamy yet lifted, finishing long, pure, and mouth-watering.

This cuvée is made exclusively from Chardonnay, predominantly Premier Cru fruit, with a significant portion coming from the Côte des Blancs villages like Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Chouilly, complemented by grapes from Montagne de Reims. The wine spends around three years on lees before disgorgement, allowing time for complexity to develop while retaining vibrant freshness.

Food pairings highlight its delicacy and saline backbone. It’s exceptional with oysters, sashimi, citrus-cured kingfish, scallop carpaccio, or goat cheese with honey. It also pairs elegantly with light poultry dishes or fresh pasta with lemon and herbs. Cellar potential is 8 to 10 years, during which it gains layers of toasted hazelnut, honey, and creaminess while maintaining its mineral spine.

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs has become a modern classic, beloved by sommeliers and collectors alike for its luminous Chardonnay expression. While produced in reasonable quantities, demand is consistently high worldwide, and top releases can be hard to find outside leading Champagne merchants.

Ruinart’s history is woven through this wine. The house pioneered the use of chalk crayères beneath Reims—underground Roman chalk cellars that provide the perfect natural environment for long maturation. This ancient setting gives the wine its signature poise and timeless character.

Ruinart was the first Champagne house, founded in 1729, and its chalk crayères beneath Reims—dating back to Roman times—are now UNESCO World Heritage–listed. These cellars provide the ideal environment for the long maturation that gives Blanc de Blancs its signature finesse.