Ruinart has joined the party—the very deluxe party with fellow guests such as Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Krug, and Jacquesson, the party that dares to defy the hegemony of Non-Vintage Champagne built on the paradox of putative consistency, the party hitherto dependent on the reassurance of the familiar, of the house style, and therefore of a focus on brand equity. Its new Blanc Singulier label is the first addition to the Ruinart portfolio in more than two decades.
Ruinart uses the name Singulier to distinguish different cuvées of blanc de blancs, although the generic, “consistent” blanc de blancs will still exist and will still make up the majority of its production (at least for a while), as with Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial, which bestrides the much smaller Moët Collection. The best of both worlds, one may think. And one may also think that the name Singulier is a little more helpful than, say, “edition” or “collection.” Individuality is key here, after all, and has come so sharply into focus of late, according to cellar master Frédéric Panaïotis, because of the recent radical changes of climate evidenced in his region. Indeed, even the label of the Singulier is chiseled with the words, “A singular expression of Chardonnay revealed by changing climate.” The Singulier series, will, according to Frédéric, unfurl to reflect the rhythm of the years, thereby capturing the essence of all that Ruinart has stood for since 1729, encapsulated by the desire to absorb and to reflect “the
This Article was originally published on World of Fine Wine
