Dom Pérignon

The story

Duke Orders 100 Bottles

In 1936, the inaugural 1921 Dom Pérignon vintage sailed to New York aboard the SS Normandie. James Buchanan Duke, the billionaire founder of the American Tobacco Company, had ordered 100 bottles for himself. The vintage gained immediate attention and prestigious recognition in the American market. The order joined a named buyer to a named bottle, while the voyage put the first Dom Pérignon vintage on a transatlantic liner. The American order came before the 1936 voyage, and both events are tied to the same inaugural vintage.

From the atlas

Dom Pérignon

Dom Pérignon is prestige vintage Champagne named for Dom Pierre Pérignon, with white, rosé and P2 releases organized by vintage and ageing stage.

At A Glance

The Producer

Dom Pérignon is a prestige vintage Champagne named after Dom Pierre Pérignon, the Benedictine monk and cellarer at Hautvillers Abbey. The house releases sparkling wine by vintage, with white, rosé and P2 bottles in the named range. Vincent Chaperon serves as cellar master.

P2 is the second release of a vintage after extended lees ageing. It is the same wine at a later stage of maturity, not a separate non vintage cuvée. The range is therefore organized by harvest year, colour and release stage.

Place

Champagne appellation is the geographic designation on Dom Pérignon's label. It is reserved for sparkling wine made under the appellation's rules, so place and production method arrive together.

A second fermentation in bottle creates the bubbles, while lees ageing, the period when wine rests with yeast cells after fermentation, can add texture and savoury notes. Dom Pérignon's vintage format then adds a harvest year to the regional name, while P2 marks a later release after that ageing. Champagne names the regional style, the year identifies the harvest, and P2 identifies later maturation.

Story

Dom Pierre Pérignon lived from 1638 to 1715 and served as cellarer at Hautvillers Abbey. He did not invent the Champagne method. His work lay in grape blending and methods for making white wine from red grapes.

Blending changes the balance among grape lots, and pressing red grapes without extracting red colour permits a white base wine. Moët & Chandon acquired Hautvillers Abbey in 1823. Dom Pérignon's name points to blending and white base wine as Pérignon's actual cellar contributions, not to invention of the sparkling method.

Vineyards And Cellar

Dom Pérignon operates approximately 1,600 consolidated hectares of vineyard estate. Vincent Chaperon is cellar master. The P2 releases receive extended lees ageing before disgorgement, when the wine is separated from the yeast deposit and prepared for release.

One P2 release spent 14 years on lees. Lees are yeast cells left after fermentation, and contact over time can add texture and savoury depth while the wine remains sealed in bottle. In this format, ageing time is part of the release design, with P2 arriving later than the first vintage release.

Wines

Dom Pérignon's range is organized by vintage and release stage. The standard Dom Pérignon bottle is a vintage sparkling wine, Rosé Murakami is the rosé expression and a limited edition collaboration with Takashi Murakami, and P2 is the second release of a vintage after extended lees ageing.

Rosé Murakami has the same wine composition as the standard Rosé, with different packaging. The range moves between a first vintage release, a rosé edition and later P2 releases. All are sparkling wines, with the P2 format adding time before disgorgement.

In The Glass

Dom Pérignon 2013 is medium to full in body, tightly wound and chiseled, with freshness carrying a delicate earthy note through the finish.

P2 releases show tropical and citrus notes, including pineapple, melon and green apple, offset by orange peel and tangerine. One P2 release adds tangerine, apricot, mint, white pepper, passionfruit and spice, with medium to full body, delicate gastronomic bitterness and chalky dry extracts.

Dom Pérignon Rosé Murakami 2010 has subtle power and lightness, with an intense, delicate, silky character.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose Dom Pérignon P2 2006. This is the second release of the 2006 vintage, with 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. The bottle puts grape proportions and release stage together: a vintage wine returned after extended lees ageing, with the P2 name marking its later maturity.

Anecdote

In 1936, the inaugural 1921 Dom Pérignon vintage sailed to New York aboard the SS Normandie. James Buchanan Duke, the billionaire founder of the American Tobacco Company, had ordered 100 bottles for himself. The vintage gained immediate attention and prestigious recognition in the American market. The order joined a named buyer to a named bottle, while the voyage put the first Dom Pérignon vintage on a transatlantic liner. The American order came before the 1936 voyage, and both events are tied to the same inaugural vintage.

Final Word

Dom Pérignon releases prestige Champagne by vintage, then returns to selected vintages as P2 after extended lees ageing. The house name belongs to Dom Pierre Pérignon's work with blending and white wine from red grapes, while the present cellar is led by Vincent Chaperon.

Sources

1. https://maisons-champagne.com/en/house/dom-perignon 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_P%C3%A9rignon 3. https://vinepair.com/articles/14-facts-dom-perignon-champagne/ 4. https://www.sodivin.com/blog/2023/12/21/dom-perignon-the-legacy-of-a-monk/ 5. https://angrywinemerchant.com/products/2013-dom-perignon 6. https://www.vinovest.co/blog/dom-perignon-p2 7. https://thefinestbubble.com/champagne-dom-perignon-vintage-2006-plenitude-2-p2-75cl 8. https://www.millesima-usa.com/champagne-dom-perignon-rose-vintage-takashi-murakami-limited-edition-2010.html