Ruinart: the oldest Champagne house and an identity forged in Chardonnay

What happened

On 7 May 2026, attention turns to Ruinart — the Reims-based house that has stood longer than any other in Champagne. Established in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart, who drew inspiration from his uncle Dom Thierry Ruinart, a Benedictine monk and close associate of Dom Pérignon, the house occupies a singular position in the history of the region. Nearly three centuries on, it remains a living institution rather than a mere heritage exercise.

Chardonnay is the thread that runs through everything Ruinart produces. From the entry-level 'R' de Ruinart blanc de blancs, which announces the house's varietal allegiance from the outset, to the prestige Dom Ruinart cuvée — a blanc de blancs composed exclusively from Grand Cru Chardonnay — the grape is not simply a component but a declaration of identity. Beneath the city of Reims, the house's celebrated crayères provide the setting in which these wines are aged: chalk cellars of Gallo-Roman origin, now classified as a historic monument, that descend deep into the subsoil and maintain the conditions the wines require.

Why it matters

Ruinart's founding in 1729 predates every other established Champagne house, meaning that its decisions — commercial, stylistic, and viticultural — helped to shape the very template against which the industry would later measure itself. Its sustained commitment to Chardonnay is not incidental; it represents a coherent philosophy maintained across centuries and across its entire range. For anyone seeking to understand how a house style is constructed and preserved, Ruinart offers one of the clearest examples the region affords.

The Dom Ruinart blanc de blancs, sourced solely from Grand Cru Chardonnay, stands as the fullest expression of that philosophy at the prestige level, while the 'R' de Ruinart ensures the same commitment is accessible at the house's point of entry.

Context

The connection between Nicolas Ruinart and Dom Thierry Ruinart — himself a figure of consequence through his friendship with Dom Pérignon — places the house at the very origins of Champagne as a commercial proposition. The crayères beneath Reims, carved during the Gallo-Roman era and now protected as a classified historic monument, are among the most remarkable cellars in the appellation, and they remain central to the house's operations today.