Dom Ruinart Brut Champagne 1996 Blanc de Blancs by Ruinart

(100% Grands Crus Chardonnay – 65% from the Cote des Blancs and 35% from

the Montagne de Reims)

Bought in Shanghai @ RMB1,780 in March 2008

Tasted on Dec 28, 2008 @ “迎彼恭彼”韩国料理

Surprisingly pale in color. Ebullient foaming cordon.

When first poured, a big nose with bursting notes of toast, freshly lifted honeycomb and ripe apple. Instant charm and class. When aired, the nose becomes buttery and slightly nutty.

Just a sip…Wow! The palate is even more generous! Tons of fresh and exotic fruits packed in a discreetly honeyed and silky robe, with extra depth of minerals in the background. First attack with ripe apple, then exotic guava and bitter-sweet grapefruit...The mineral finish of iodine note is sheer class.

I have to admit this is the most exotic, feminine, sexy champagne I’ve ever tasted. No wonder some tasting notes showed that in blind tastings, people mistook certain vintages of Dom Ruinart for top Sauvignon Blanc. And I have to say this is the most generous Blanc de Blancs I’ve come across. So the big proportion of Chardonnay wines from the Montagne de Reims Grands Crus does make a big difference by giving the blend more flavors, weight and depth.

One last note is the acidity is actually DISCREET, 'overwhelmed' by the rich fruit. Still at her straight-forward fruity stage, it would be very interesting to follow her evolution with further bottle age. But if you are to drink her any time soon, my suggestion for food pairing would be just to go with fresh fruits and freshly baked bread.

*Another tasting in end July 2009: exceptionally green and undeveloped. So grassy and Sauvignon Blanc like. Linear and stony. But exceptionally promising -- the nose and palate are incredibly young and unevloved even after 2.5 hours' airing! -- bottle variations of champagne is something that we have to live with, considering the fact of "2nd fermentation in THIS bottle" -- but this is not always bad because sometimes you get sweet surpise and also the point that each bottle of champagne is individual!