P2, meaning 'second plenitude'. Dom Pérignon choose the best grapes from any of the 17 Grands Crus, including the legendary Premier Cru, Hautvillers and it is released in three different maturation time periods called Plénitudes. After close to 15 years of slow transformation in the cellars, the taste is, according to Dom Perignon, "wider, deeper, longer, more intense - and gifted further with an extended longevity." [12] Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district. The 2006 vintage was climatically irregular in the Champagne region and generally warm and dry. However, the cooler evenings in the latter part of the summer has resulted in a wine of richness with underlying elegance and sophistication. And you can’t forget that Richard Geoffroy, chef de cave of Dom Pérignon, only releases the wine in vintages that will age more than 20 years. Each bottle is aged for a minimum of seven years, while others are hidden away for much longer. If you come across a bottle with P2 or P3 on the label, it’s a vintage that’s a second or third release, respectively. It is the result of extra time of maturation and constantly monitored and tasted by the Chef de cave to determine the perfect time for disgorgement. [13]

The exact composition of each type of grape varies year by year, altering the flavor profile ever so slightly each time. However, the brand is renowned for its consistent overarching hints of biscuit, citrus, honey and smoke. Master of Wine Serena Sutcliffe describes its notes by saying: “With age, Dom Pérignon takes on a totally seductive fresh-toast-and-coffee bouquet, one of the most intriguing scents in Champagne.” How to drink Dom Pérignon The first Plénitude is the Dom Perignon released after 8-9 years of lees ageing. The second Plénitude is released after 15 to 20 years lees ageing. P3 is released after considerably more lees ageing and in very small quantities. [14] Limited editions [ edit ] Today on the Friday Bubble, we compare the new release of Dom Perignon Vintage 2013 alongside its predecessor Dom Perignon 2012. Stevenson, Tom. World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine (Fully rev. and updated ed.). South San Francisco, California: The Wine Appreciation Guild, 2003. ISBN 1-891267-61-2.Dom Pérignon is the prestige cuvée of the Champagne house Möet et Chandon. It is named after the Benedictine Monk who has been widely (and incorrectly) credited with ‘inventing’ Champagne, although his contribution to the development of sparkling wine can not be underestimated. Based on Grand Cru villages plus one premier cru villages of Hautvillers, a wine of tension, power and long-ageing endurance and has been the vision of talented Chef de Cave, Vincent Chaperon, for over two and a half decades. Weather: With similar weather characteristics as the now-legendary 2002, the 2006 vintage was overall very hot and dry. Vines grew in fits and starts with a heatwave during July succeeded by a cool and humid August. The ultimate factor was the summery September weather, which assisted the grapes in developing much more maturity than usual. As a result, the harvest was the longest on record: four weeks beginning on 11th September. Rose gold, coppery, deep hue. With air, the initially creamy, rich nose gives way to notions of soft, freshly-baked rye crumb and dried blood orange peel. The palate opens with a certain juiciness and fills the senses with its fine mousse. Then there is a spicy saltiness, reminiscent of maple syrup, alongside a very pleasantly bitter edge. It is this, rather than acidity, that counters the richness which is like a picture of salted, toasted caramel biscuit. A gentle freshness persists along with that spice.

The Dom Pérignon Rosé handwriting is clear: these are generous, rounded, rich wines that really put the body and power of Pinot Noir centre stage. These wines are about texture and mellowness – and to an extent even about a theme of pleasant bitterness. Right now this stunning quartet revealed vintage variation through that Pinot prism and different stages of development. 2006 takes its natural place in a line-up that will get ever more complex with age. A treat. This is very lively and vibrant with a dense and rich center palate. Lots of complexity and balance with pastry, sliced lemon and light dried mango. Full yet racy and intense. A beautiful center palate. Linear. Shows potential for aging but so good right now. Dom Pérignon is only available as a vintage champagne and is only produced in ‘exceptional’ years. 2013 hits a perfect middle ground between the fruit forward 2012 and the minerality of the 2008. As of September 2022, the current release of Dom Pérignon is from the 2012 vintage and the current release of Dom Pérignon Rosé is from the 2008 vintage. [11] Auction market [ edit ] Until the 1943 vintage, Dom Pérignon was produced from regular vintage Moët & Chandon Champagne that was transferred to the special 18th century-style bottles after extended cellaring. It was, thus, effectively an "oenothèque" release of Moët & Chandon Vintage Champagne in a different bottle. From the 1947 vintage, Dom Pérignon has been produced separately from the start. [6]

Chaperon of course noted the “incredible sequence of vintages”. This is the first time in the history of Dom Pérignon Rosé, which started with the 1959 vintage, that five consecutive vintages, i.e. 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 were released. In his masterclass, chef de cave Richard Geoffroy explained that 2006 was another low acid vintage like '03 and '09, which meant it was quite a challenge to provide the usual DP precision and focus. Yet he clearly delivered, partly because he and his team worked especially hard on the yeast maturation and the way in which the wine developed 'sur lattes' (stored on their sides in the cellar). ‘It took a long time to develop – eight years, in fact. But it has certainly got there now.’ And at 12 years of age, this is really starting to hit its stride, with lovely citrus, apple and nectarine fruit inflected with savory hazelnut, toast and brioche. It has super tension, texture and depth with wonderful length - and a long life ahead. (JS) The first vintage of Dom Pérignon was 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936, sailing to New York in the liner Normandie. [3] The brand, not exploited, was given by Champagne Mercier to Moët in 1927 for a wedding between the two families.

It is this vision of the finished Champagne that guides every single one of the myriad decisions made in vineyard and cellar. Chaperon refers to this as “organising diversity” – the diversity of vineyard plots, of grape varieties, of base wines. “Dom Pérignon is the sum of all these decisions,” he declared. Each released vintage then stands “to testify what that year was.” The bouquet is complex with a mingling of white flowers, citrus and stone fruit, followed by the freshness of aniseed and crushed mint along with hints of spice.A rigorous selection process in both the vineyard and winery ensures that only the best grapes go into Dom Pérignon champagne. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used in roughly equal proportions without one variety dominating the other. Dom Pérignon ( / ˌ d ɒ m p ɛr ɪ n ˈ j ɒ n/ DOM perr-in- YON, French: [dɔ̃ peʁiɲɔ̃]) is a brand of vintage Champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the Champagne method for making sparkling wines. [1] History [ edit ] There are three plenitudes in the life of a given vintage: the first plenitude spans between seven to eight years after the vintage, which is when Dom Pérignon Vintage is released, while the second one arrives between 12 and 15 years – which was previously the first oenothèque release, but from now will be branded as P2.Thethird windowcomesafter around 30 years, when the Champagne has spent more than 20 years on its lees, which will now be termed as P3.