Ruinart, Salon, Bollinger: Three Exceptional Champagne Houses

Beyond the large, well-publicized houses, three names shine with singular brilliance in the world of prestige champagne: Ruinart, the oldest founded in 1729; Salon, champagne from a single grape variety, from a single vintage, from a single vintage; and Bollinger, guardian of the Vieilles Vignes Françaises. Three philosophies, three legends.

Ruinart: The Oldest Champagne House (1729)

Founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart, it is the oldest champagne house in the world. Located in Reims, it is based on Gallo-Roman crayers listed as UNESCO World Heritage — 8 kilometers of underground galleries dug into the chalk.

Ruinart is the home of Chardonnay par excellence. Its Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is a masterpiece of finesse and minerality, while the Dom Ruinart Rosé offers a rare expression of lightness and character.

“Ruinart is the champagne of connoisseurs. Not the most visible, but the most refined. »

Exhibition: The Absolute of Champagne

Salon is the champagne of all superlatives: a single grape variety (Chardonnay), a single vintage (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger), a single vintage. Founded in 1911 by Aimé Salon, this house only produces in exceptional years — only 37 vintages in more than a century.

The Salon S is a Blanc de Blancs of absolute purity, requiring 10 years minimum of aging on the lees. It is a wine of patience, of contemplation, intended for enlightened amateurs.

Bollinger: The Soul of Pinot Noir

Founded in 1829 in Aÿ, Bollinger is the home of Pinot Noir. Its Great Year, its special vintages and especially its legendary Vieilles Vignes Françaises (VVF) make it an absolute reference.

The VVFs come from plots of Ungrafted Pinot Noir, preserved from phylloxera — a living vestige of viticulture before 1870. Production: approximately 3,000 bottles per vintage.

The Bollinger R.D. (Recently Disgorged) offers prolonged aging on lees followed by late disgorging, revealing remarkable complexity and freshness.