Paris, France — It is that time of year when the oldest of the champagne houses releases its limited edition bottle for its fabulous Blanc de Blancs champagne, the house’s specialty. This year the house has worked with French contemporary artist Eva Jospin to create a Jeraboam brought out in a limited edition of 25 signed and numbered bottles. For Ruinart is not only known for its fine champagnes, it has for years been a patron of the arts. The boxed limited editions were unveiled during an ephemeral exhibition at the Carreau du Temple in the Marais neighborhood of Paris last March 10th to the 12th. The exhibition, entitled Eva Jospin’s Invitation for a Champagne Promenade, presented her monumental yet delicate works offering up a vision of the Ruinart terroir. The artist employs nature and especially forest themes in her works which are often made of cardboard. 

Forests are a theme shared by the artist and the house of Ruinart which is currently  planting 14,000 trees on the edge of its Taissy vineyard to boost biodiversity. The rich terroirs and cellars of Ruinart are found in and around Reims, a terroir of chalky cellars, interlacing vineyards and a cathedral where the kings of France were crowned. The Ruinart family was awarded a peerage by King Charles X, one of the last kings of France, and who was anointed in the Cathedral of Reims in 1825.

The box designed by Eva Jospin to house the precious Jeroboam of Ruinart’s Blanc de Blancs is in wood held together by sturdy leather straps and it opens up onto a miniature decor of chalk sculpted into the layers of cardboard. Champagne aged in a Jeroboam takes on more complex notes yet remains incredibly smooth upon tasting. This special edition has been elaborated with an assemblage of 25 to 30 vintages of Chardonnay. The Jeraboam contains four splendid bottles of champagne. The house of Ruinart was founded in 1729 and is regarded as the oldest of the champagne houses and is known for its expertise with the Chardonnay grape variety and has currently embarked on an ambitious program of sustainable development. The Jeraboam Blanc de Blancs Eva Jospin limited edition can be purchased for US$ 3,700 (3,500 euros). ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. https://www.ruinart.com/en-us