Champagne Finder: 96 Dom Ruinart

alan_weinberg · June 19, 2009, 7:13pm

$95/b at Zachy’s.
no affiliation, yada, yada, yada.
alan

Michel_Abood · June 19, 2009, 7:27pm

No affiliation either, but I must say it’s gorgeous juice. We had it at both Ruinart Dinners the past 2 years in NYC:
http://vinotas.blogspot.com/search?q=1996+ruinart" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Cheers!

Brad_Baker · June 19, 2009, 7:38pm

That’s a load up price. This wine is built to last.

Otto_Dobre · June 19, 2009, 8:58pm

I’ll wait for the big sale on the Rose.

dcornutt · June 20, 2009, 2:35pm

WOW!
What a price.
This is a great champagne.
Thanks Alan.

Brad_Baker · June 20, 2009, 3:46pm

I wouldn’t be surprised to see this come down to under $200 in the US. The last time I was in France, I saw bottles for 150-175 Euros in a few spots. I think the Dom Ruinart Rose is a step up from the BdB in 96, so if the Rose falls below $200, that is an easy buy too.

Ray.Tuppa_sch · June 20, 2009, 10:02pm

Sold out at Zachy’s.

Alan W. does it again !!

rob_klafter · June 20, 2009, 10:45pm

Ray, while we are talking 96 Champagne, how do you come down on 96 goisses?
April in particular. Are you a like it or love it guy. KOC is not a big fan, no?

Ray.Tuppa_sch · June 20, 2009, 10:46pm

Like it very much, but IMO is a notch or two below Krug and Salon.

rob_klafter · June 20, 2009, 10:52pm

better than DP?

and what do you think about 2002 DP?
have you tried yet?

rob_klafter · June 20, 2009, 10:57pm

or 2002 krug?
have you guys had a sneak peek?

Ray.Tuppa_sch · June 20, 2009, 10:58pm

I thinks it’s a little better than '96 DP, but that may change over time and I think '96 DP is really good too. Splitting hairs between those two right now.

Haven’t had '02 DP yet. Might get to taste a bottle in a couple of weeks. Will let you know if I do.

'02 Krug is way under wraps.

'00 Krug to be released first.

rob_klafter · June 20, 2009, 11:02pm

speaking of under wraps, have you tried the 96 clos d’ambonnay?
has anyone?

Ray.Tuppa_sch · June 20, 2009, 11:14pm

No, '96 d’Ambonnay.

Krug is very strict about that kind of stuff. A couple of weeks ago when Olivier Krug was in NYC I jokingly chided him for not bringing a bottle of it for me to advance taste.

Besides barrell samples and champagnes they are just about to release so they’ll do a bit of a roadshow or an event at Krug that I might get invited to, I haven’t tasted anything in advance. Nor do I know of any else who has either.

Brad_Baker · June 20, 2009, 11:15pm

Right now one of the 2002’s to watch out for is the Dom Ruinart BdB. This is looking like it will be a very special wine. It is still a few years away from release and I doubt it will be a wine I would recommend for early drinking, but it is showing incredible promise and really stands out right now. I really like the grapes grown in the more Pinot dominant territories in 02 and with Dom Ruinart using a lot of Chardonnay from top Grand Cru plots in the Montange de Reims (which isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking of Grand Cru, high end Chardonnay), it has a lot going for it IMO.

Brad_Baker · June 20, 2009, 11:21pm

As Ray has said, a lot of producers aren’t big on tasting lots of wines in advance. It does happen and the smaller guys do it more than the big ones. There have been numerous times when I’ve tasted wines in advance and then been asked not to post a review or anything more than stating “this wine is really good… watch for it in a few years”. The only person I know of who is privy to tasting years before pre-release at Krug is Tom Stevenson. Salon is another one that I only know of Tom tasting in advance. In fact, Tom pretty much gets to taste whatever he wants, wherever he wants.

Daniel_Posner · June 21, 2009, 1:12am

Some jackass store in White Plains, NY was selling it for $199 last month…but thank goodness no one pays attention!

Brad_Baker · June 21, 2009, 1:28am

I’ll have to edit my post to say that it is only a buy at $198 or less.

That same White Plains jackass has some hard to find 95 Clos des Goisses (they made very little this year and the wine is excellent) and a hard to find 750 mL format of 96 Pommery Louise (which is probably the best Louise ever). Also have some weird wine called Domaine Ruinart.

Daniel_Posner · June 21, 2009, 2:07am

That guy finds Champagne like no other, trust me, I once saw that he had tons of that 1995 Goisses @ $120/btl and the 96 Louise, insane amounts @ $79/btl…I hear that he even has been known to drink the stuff occasionally, although you never saw notes, because that would have been considered shilling elsewhere.

Brad_Baker · June 21, 2009, 2:47am

A jackass and a moron to be selling crappy wine at such high prices*.

* no affiliation and yes, I am being sarcastic.