I have just opened a case of 2002 Dom Ruinart Brut Champagne. Nowhere do the words Blanc de Blancs appear - except on the invoice.
Under “Dom” Ruinart CT only lists TNs for the the BdeB and the Rose. Re. bottle labels, on CT we can see 2 labels shown - the 1st 2 are as I have the bottles - a black label with “2002 Dom Ruinart Brut Champagne”. But the 3rd label in the series shows “Blanc de Blancs” on an off-white label. Are these just different labelling for the same wine? I note there is a “Ruinart 2002 Brut Millesime” - missing the “Dom”. The Ruinart website seems to assume noone needs to see the words Blanc de Blancs because “The chardonnay is the very soul of Ruinart. The grape, mainly harvested from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims terroirs, is at the heart of all our cuvées. With its fresh aromas, vivacity, purity and luminosity, the chardonnay is the essence of all our cuvées.” - which is not the same thing as saying “100% chardonnay”, which I assume is what a Blanc de Blancs must be.
I assume I do have the blanc de blancs - but confused by the varied labelling (if that is what it is).
Maybe Brad can come by and correct my errors, but I think Ruinart makes 2 NVs (“R” de Ruinart, which is chard, pinot noir and pinot meunier), a non-vintage rose (chard and pinot noir), a vintage rose (mostly chard and a little noir) and the vintage BdB. The vintage BdB in 2002 was disgorged twice, once with the cream colored label and another with the black (or dark dark green) label. Both of the vintage 2002s are superlative; Brad likes the later-disgorged cream label wines better; I can’t say that I have formed a firm view on the matter and really am not sure I could without opening bottles of each siumultaneously (unlikely to happen). You are going to love the wine, no matter what
the older black dom ruinart label did not call out bdb.
the newer tan label does.
same wine.
Nigel,
If the bottles came in boxes then the box interior does describe the wine as 100% Chardonnay, but you are correct that the black label Dom Ruinarts from 96, 98, and 02 do not clearly state Blanc de Blancs. It just states Brut while the Rose is clearly noted as a Rose (and is in a pink and black color scheme). Towards the end of the 2002 Dom Ruinart run, they changed labels for the BdB and Rose to a cleaner, easier to decipher format. For the 2002 Dom Ruinart BdB, the wine is the same in both dresses, but the white/off-white labeled one is usually later disgorged by at least a year and these later disgorgements have more precision and definition IMO. I find them to be superior to the black labels, but both are great wines.
Ruinart makes a trio of NVs - Blended Brut, BdB, and Rose in fatter, squat bottles. The Blended Brut doesn’t often leave Europe and is mostly sold in France. They also make a blended Brut Millesime that is mainly a France and Europe product; it is also bottled in the fatter, squat styled bottles. The Dom Ruinart range is the BdB and Rose made in taller although still fatter bottles.
Hi Neal, Yaacov and Brad,
Many thanks for your collective clarifications - all is clear. In future, I will be sure to ask which version of the B de B someone is selling.
Best holiday wishes to you all,
Nigel