Founded in Reims in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart, Maison Ruinart is recognised as the world's first established Champagne house. Nearly three centuries later, it remains defined by a refined, Chardonnay-led style that balances freshness, elegance and aromatic purity. The house draws its fruit from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards across the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne, ageing every cuvée in exceptional Gallo-Roman chalk cellars beneath the city.
Quick Facts
- Location: Reims, Champagne, France
- Founded: 1729
- Founder: Nicolas Ruinart
- House identity: Chardonnay-led Champagne
- Signature cuvée: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
- Prestige cuvée: Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
- Historic cellars: Ancient Gallo-Roman chalk quarries known as crayères
- Cellar network: Approximately eight kilometres of galleries
- Maximum depth: Around 38 metres below ground
- Recognition: Part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Champagne landscape
- Key styles: Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Rosé and vintage Champagne
- Ownership: LVMH
The First Champagne House
Maison Ruinart began on 1 September 1729, when Nicolas Ruinart drafted the founding charter for the first company devoted exclusively to producing Champagne. The house grew from the vision of his uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart, a Benedictine monk who had observed the rising appetite for sparkling wine among French aristocracy and European courts during his travels through the early 18th century.
Dom Thierry never lived to see the house established, but his nephew acted on the conviction that Champagne represented both a cultural shift and a commercial opportunity. The royal authorisation to transport wine in bottles rather than barrels, granted in 1728, made the venture possible. By founding the house in Reims—at the heart of Champagne's chalky heartland—Nicolas Ruinart positioned the family enterprise to become synonymous with quality, heritage and the art of blending.
The Chardonnay Signature
Chardonnay lies at the heart of Ruinart's identity, bringing luminosity, precision and delicate aromatic expression to every cuvée. The house sources much of its Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims, privileging villages known for producing fruit of exceptional finesse and ageing potential.
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, produced entirely from Chardonnay, is the purest expression of this philosophy. Its profile is built around white flowers, citrus peel and chalky minerality, with extended lees contact adding texture and complexity without compromising freshness. At the summit of the range stands Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, the house's prestige cuvée, created from outstanding vintages and given further time to develop depth, balance and refined structure in the cellars.
Ruinart Rosé introduces Pinot Noir through the addition of red wine, typically accounting for around 15 to 20 per cent of the blend. The result combines Ruinart's characteristic elegance with greater body and notes of red berries, while maintaining the freshness and tension that define the house style.
The Crayères of Reims
Beneath the Maison lies an extraordinary network of ancient chalk quarries, excavated during the Gallo-Roman period and transformed into cellars in the 18th century. Extending for approximately eight kilometres and descending as far as 38 metres, these cathedral-like crayères provide darkness, stable year-round temperatures of around 11°C and natural humidity ideal for the slow maturation of Champagne.
The cellars form part of the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. Their chalk walls absorb vibrations and contribute to the stillness that allows wine to age undisturbed. Walking through the crayères connects visitors directly to the geology, history and continuity that have shaped Champagne production for centuries.
Elegance Shaped by Time
Ruinart's winemaking is built around clarity rather than power. Extended lees ageing, typically lasting three years for non-vintage cuvées and considerably longer for prestige bottlings, contributes to complexity and a fine, persistent mousse. Minimal dosage allows the purity of Chardonnay and the character of each blend to express itself with precision.
The result is a collection of Champagnes distinguished by aromatic finesse, balanced texture and a graceful interplay between freshness and roundness. Nearly three centuries after its founding, Ruinart continues to refine a vision rooted in the potential of Chardonnay, the legacy of its chalk cellars and the patient craft of blending.
