September 2007
Champagne : a Photo Journal
Page: - 1 2 3 4 5 next >>

The House of Ruinart was founded in 1721. Named after Benedictine monk Dom Thierry Ruinart, it is located in the city of Reims. Here, at the entrance to town, crayères (Gallo-Roman chalk pits) hewn out of the chalk sub soil are the secret to a slow ageing process normally lasting between three and twelve years depending on the cuvees.

Ruinart was the first champagne House to acquire its crayères, classified as a historic monument in 1931. The depth of the pits and the chalk from which they are made provide perfect thermal stability and optimum humidity. The constant low temperature leads to a slow prise de mousse (the formation of smaller bubbles), resulting in a light refreshing mousse or mouthfeel.

Below right, tour guide uses a diorama in the main salon to illustrate how the Romans created the chalk pits by cutting blocks of chalk for use in building.


Above: statue to Dom Ruinart in the courtyard garden. Chef de cave (head winemaker, cellarmaster), Frederic Paniotis (center, in dark shirt) leads group through a tasting of six different cuvees.
After the wine-making process, the stabilized, filtered wine is bottled and a liqueur de tirage, a mixture of yeast and sugar, is added. These additions then set to work in the underground world of the crayères, the ancient chalk pits, where time ages the wine. After the ageing period comes riddling. Over a period of about six weeks, the bottles are constantly turned to ease the deposits down into the neck of the bottle. The racks (above right) are used to holed the bottles during this process. Then during the process of disgorging, the plug of sediment is expelled and the bottles are ready for final corking and labelling. Below: millions of bottles are stacked throughout the caves, usually tens of rows deep and 30or more rows high. Bottom left: tasting room bar made from riddling racks.
     
September 2007
Champagne : a Photo Journal
Page: - 1 2 3 4 5 next >>

 
 
 
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Last Update 9.19.07