Ruinart: 2013 was good year in Champagne

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 05 March, 2014

Ruinart's cellar master says despite bad news elsewhere in France, 2013 was a good year in Champagne, and the house will make a 2013 vintage.

Ruinart cellar master Frédéric Panaïotis, told harpers.co.uk that "people outside of France only think about what happened in Bordeaux - not the most glorious year". But although it was difficult in many places, Champagne "pretty much escaped it" he said. "We had the worst spring ever. The rain stopped on June 30 and from July to late August we had the perfect summer - it was sunny, hot and with little rain." Although the poor spring weather delayed the harvest and Chardonnay yields were down around 20%, the quality was good, said Panaïotis.

Chardonnay "was the clear winner", with Pinots Noir and Meunier varying from "excellent to miserable". "Compared to 2012 Chardonnay was quite vibrant and has a beautiful freshness with a good punch," Panaïotis added.

He said Ruinart will be making a 2013 vintage, adding that he hoped people would have forgotten about what happened in Bordeaux by the time it is released.

As for future plantings of Champagne, Panaïotis said it is a slow work in progress, with individual villages and parcels of land being inspected for their suitability. "We expect, once areas are designated, that there will be a lot of arguments," given how much it will affect land values, Panaïotis said. He does not anticipate any news before 2018 or 2020, and has no idea about how much areas will be planted initially.

"Champagne has always been very strong and smart," he said, mentioning how the AOC decides the maximum yield permitted each year reflecting a vineyard's potential and also the economic situation around Champagne.

Panaïotis also believes the growth of sparkling wine is acting as a feeder to more premium marques of Champagne. He said Ruinart's Blanc de Blancs and rosé wines were "performing the best, as people are not afraid of upgrading".

The House will launch its 2002 Dom Ruinart rosé in the UK in the next few months, followed by 2004 Dom Ruinart in September, which Panaïotis described as a year "no-one could miss" as it is "super-refined and more elegant than 2002, but with beautiful tension".

Ruinart is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the first shipment of rosé Champagne, which went undiscovered until last summer, it was thought to have been much later than that date. It was then referred to not as rosé but as 'partridge eye' sparkling wine. "It kills the common belief that rosé is in fashion. If it is it has been for 250 years," said Panaïotis.

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