Dom Pérignon Vintage 2012

The first Champagne of prestige to be marketed in 1936, it owes its name to the Benedictine monk Pierre Pérignon who officiated as cellarer at the Abbey of Hautvilliers in the seventeenth century, and who is none other than the precursor of the famous Champagne method. 

Today, Dom Pérignon is one of the most famous names of the Champagne, synonymous with perfection and refinement, which has the particularity is to be a Champagne exclusively Millésimé, made in years considered exceptional for the region. 

The vintage chosen when it was first released was the splendid 1921, and in total, 41 years have been marketed since.

What is the history of the House Dom Pérignon?

Below the famous coat of arms label is a man, the Benedictine monk of Hautvilliers Abbey Pierre Pérignon (1638-1715), known as Dom Pérignon. Having been put in charge of the vineyard of the Abbey in question, he had set himself the goal of producing the best wine possible. As a self-taught winemaker, he was at the origin of the particular art of blending different vintages and grape varieties, thanks to his assertive sensitivity and his certain talent as a taster. 

For the record, he took over the concept of the more effervescence-resistant glass bottles invented by English glassmakers, due to the fact that the fermentation of the wines was not fully completed when they were bottled. 

His know-how was passed on to the generations that succeeded him, and the Abbaye d'Hautvilliers would eventually be acquired by the House of Moët & Chandon in the 1820s. Today, the Abbaye represents only a small portion of the production destined for Dom Pérignon, being the only vineyard of the house to be classified as Premier Cru.

What makes Champagne Dom Pérignon so unique?

The ambitious and incomparable Champagne Dom Pérignon is produced only in good years. It is made from a vineyard classified as Premier Cru, the famous Abbaye d'Hautvilliers, but the rest of the vineyards dedicated to it are classified as Grand Cru and are among the finest in the region. 

Dom Pérignon is thus a Champagne blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in equal proportions. Its style is largely attributable to Richard Geoffroy, who was its iconic cellar master for nearly 30 years. With his genius and oenological skills, he has helped maintain the soul of the house, offering ever more fullness, balance and beauty to the vintages to which he has given birth. Since January 2019, Vincent Chaperon has taken over from Richard Geoffroy, perpetuating his work to continue to ensure the reputation of the House Dom Pérignon.

The iconic Cuvées of the House Dom Pérignon

The Champagnes Dom Pérignon are marketed under three types of cuvées:

The first being the most famous of them all, Dom Pérignon Vintage followed by the year of harvest and will be marketed nearly 9 years after its production. 

Richard Geoffroy is behind the Plénitude cuvees, a concept of issuing the same vintage of Dom Pérignon at regular intervals. These are vintages that have benefited from additional years of aging. The Dom Pérignon P2 vintage, considered to have reached its Sec fullness, is marketed after 12 to 15 years of maturation on lees. Cuvée Dom Pérignon P3, considered to have reached its third fullness, is marketed after approximately 25 years of maturation on the lees.

Each of these different expressions of Dom Pérignon are like an invitation to the consumer to defy the test of time, inciting hedonism and leaving lasting memories.