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| September
2007
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Champagne
: a Photo Journal |
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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. |
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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| September
2007
|
Champagne
: a Photo Journal |
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Copyright
© 2007, Eric Anderson - All rights reserved
No original material may be reproduced without written consent
Mail & Comments
- Eric Anderson
Last
Update 9.19.07
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