Personal advice
Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon has a distinctive flavor profile of exotic fruits, vanilla, and toasted bread that is hard to resist. So reliably does it provide special moments of enjoyment that, for many champagne lovers, it has become an indispensable part of their lifestyle. The very first Dom Pérignon from the 1921 vintage, released in 1936 in an edition of 2,000 bottles as the world’s first prestige champagne, was already based on the aromas that develop during extended lees aging. At first, Dom Pérignon was essentially the standard Moët & Chandon Vintage Champagne, but aged on the lees for over ten years. This gave it, even in its youth, a silky palate and complex aromas.
What makes Dom Pérignon so special
One must distinguish between different periods.
1990 to today: Dom Pérignon becomes part of the Louis Vuitton group and benefits from enhanced marketing expertise. Production expands very rapidly, and already the 1990 vintage reaches five million bottles, which are released for the millennium celebration in the year 2000. The cultivated yeasts are refined to ensure a consistent style and delightful aromas over the years. This is the Dom Pérignon most of us know: citrus fruits, pineapple, and other exotic fruits, toasted bread, freshly ground coffee, a very silky palate. It can be enjoyed young with great pleasure. But that does not mean it should be drunk young. With many years of aging after disgorgement, the influence of the yeast aromas recedes, and Dom Pérignon develops complex notes of nuts, nougat, toast, and above all roasted coffee beans. These aromas are so complex that words are not enough to do them justice.
1969 to 1988: In 1969, fermentation still took place in oak, but the wine was lighter than in the preceding years.
The 1970s were a period of growing success for Champagne. Production increased, and Dom Pérignon competed with the many new prestige cuvées launched by other houses, such as Winston Churchill. Dom Pérignon was no longer as concentrated as Bollinger or Krug but evolved into a more elegant Champagne that could also be enjoyed younger than those two traditional brands.
1947 to 1966: Dom Pérignon was made from the best vineyards and old vines. It was a very powerful champagne, not so different from Krug or Bollinger. The aromas that developed over many years were generally distinct, but the power and structure were similar. Together with Krug, Bollinger, and Cristal, it stood at the very top of Champagne. 1921 to 1943: Dom Pérignon was essentially a Moët et Chandon Vintage that had spent a longer time on the lees and was then transferred into the special Dom Pérignon bottle. It was not a particular selection of superior wines. However, thanks to the extended lees aging, it was already pleasant to drink when young. Today, it is better to buy the original bottles of Moët et Chandon Vintage, as they are fresher since they were not exposed to a higher amount of oxygen through the transfer into the Dom Pérignon bottle.
Which vintages excell?
Of the 45 vintages, even the younger ones are already very expensive, so it makes little sense to write about magnums from 1961. Caution is advised with older vintages. Bottles from the 1960s and 1970s, for example, can be found at auctions, especially Italian imports, but they hardly come close to the bottles Richard Juhlin writes about, which usually come from the cellars of Moët. 1988 is therefore the oldest vintage we recommend. In our opinion, it is still before its peak, but offers an additional dimension to the newer bottles. Good bottles should have a light, pale colour. We even prefer it to the delicious 1990, as the 1988 has more structure and mineral tension. The 1996 is excellent, but has relatively little development, so it's not such a great experience for the extra money you spend. The 2002, 2004 and 2006 are excellent and differ in style. The 2008 does not taste better now, but has even more potential for the future or even for 2010. The 2002, 2003 and 2004 are excellent, but the 2004 wins when you consider the price-performance ratio.
Die Verschiedenen Editionen von Dom Perignon
Es gibt zahlreiche Varianten des weißen Dom Pérignons, aber man darf auch den viel selteneren Rosé nicht vergessen. Der erste Jahrgang ist 1959 und er wurde auf der 2500 Jahre Feier des Persischen Reiches der Weltöffentlichkeit präsentiert. Das ist nicht so überraschend, wenn man daran denkt, dass der Sha 1971 keine Kosten gescheut hat, um die Prominenz dieser Welt würdig zu empfangen.Durch die ca. 10 % Rotwein, die zur Färbung eingesetzt werden, verschiebt sich das Verhältnis auf etwa 60 % Pinot Noir und 40 % Chardonnay. Aromatisch ist der stille Rotwein jedoch viel auffälliger mit seinen roten Fruchtaromen und seiner Würze.
Frühre gab es den Dom Pérignon und Flaschen älterer Jahrgänge, die als Oenothèque meist frisch dégorgiert auf den Markt kamen. Es liegt nun nah, diese Oenotheque Flaschen für das Non Plus Ultra zu halten. Sie sind jedoch über gut gelagerten normalen Flaschen nicht bessesr, sondern nur mit mehr frischen Hefenoten. Mit zunehmender Lagerung im Keller, fallen sie jedoch gegenüber den Flaschen zurück, die kürzer auf der Hefe lagen.
2014 führt Dom Pérignon das System der Plénitude ein. Damit sind verschiedene Entwicklungsstadien gemeint. P1 ist die normale Variante, die als solche nicht markiert wird. Der P2 1996 wurde 2014 als erste eingeführt, obwohl es danach auch P2 vom Jahrgang 1990 und 1995 gab. Der P3 kam sogar mit dem 1983 schon 2013 auf den Markt. Beim P3 dominieren nussige Noten und getrocknete Früchte. Mit den anderen Editionen teilt der öfter die Aromen von geröstetem Kaffee.
The Origins of the Cuvée Dom Pérignon
There are two possible “first” Dom Pérignons: In 1935, only 300 bottles of the 1926 vintage were shipped to England to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the English agent Simon Brothers. This already displayed essential elements of modern marketing: a very special presentation of the bottle and label in 18th-century style, and a very limited quantity. Only the 150 best customers received 2 bottles each. However, the name Dom Pérignon was not yet used.
Demand was so high that in 1936 Robert-Jean de Vogüé used the Dom Pérignon name for the first time, for the 1921 vintage. From this excellent year, 2,000 bottles were produced. The Dom Pérignon brand originally belonged to Mercier, but with the marriage of Francine Durang-Mercier to Paul Chandon in 1927, the brand passed to Moët.
Dom Pérignon is the first prestige champagne. One could argue that Cristal, introduced in 1876, was the first prestige champagne. But it was a sweet champagne produced exclusively for the Russian royal court. The first Cristal made for a broader market was the 1945 vintage.