Ruinart Dom Ruinart (loose foil capsules) 1996
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Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1996 Brut Dom Ruinart Vintage has just begun to develop some of the tertiary notes that are commonly found in this wine. The 1996 is a large-scaled Dom Ruinart that boasts notable intensity and purity in its ripe varietal fruit. With some time in the glass, notes of licorice, mint, spices, minerals and smoke come forward, adding further complexity. The 1996 looks to be a stellar Dom Ruinart: This is Lot: ADKTA3, disgorged March 2006.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made entirely from grand cru grapes, this is a beautiful wine, layering toast and ripe fruit with a proper minerality from the year. Flavors of honey, toast and nougat soften the aftertaste. It is ready to drink now, but it has still a ways to go, as the intense concentration of fruit opens out.
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Wine Spectator
Strong aromas of toast and graphite lead off in this exotic Champagne. Apricot, butterscotch and grapefruit notes follow up as this cruises to a long finish. It's refined, with a vibrant structure. Drink now through 2020.
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is the emblem of the House, and it is the perfect expression of the Ruinart taste. It is comprised of 100% Chardonnay grapes grown primarily with Premiers Crus from the Côte de Blancs and Montagne de Reims terroirs, both prized for their aromatic finesse.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’