1988 Dom Ruinart Rosé

Ruinart is unusual among Champagne houses in that the overwhelming majority of the production is still sold in France. Perhaps because of that, Ruinart does not enjoy the same visibility as many of its peers. The wines, though, are magnificent. As always, the Ruinart Champagnes are done entirely in steel, with full malo. Dom Ruinart stands out from most other Blancs de Blancs for its powerful, broad texture, much of which comes from the significant presence of Chardonnay from the Montagne de Reims. The production cycles in Champagne are always a bit shocking relative to the norm in other regions. Chef de Caves Frédéric Panaiotis arrived in 2007, but it will still be another few years before we taste his Dom Ruinarts!