Dom Pérignon is only available as a vintage champagne and is only produced in exceptional years. Each vintage is a creation, singular and unique, that expresses both the character of the year, and the character of Dom Pérignon. After at least eight years of lees ageing in the cellars, the wine enters its first phase of interest, Plenitude 1, showing quite youthful fruit and broad texture from the lees contact. The signature Dom Pérignon aromatic is that "hint smoky" character a result of the reductive winemaking where they go to extreme lengths to keep each step of the winemaking process free of oxygen. With every sip of Dom Perignon you always have that purity of fruit character, depending on the vintage you normally see the Pinot Noir fruit dominate, which are those red fruits like raspberry, peach and dark cherry. The Chardonnay adds a supporting layer of chalky texture and delicious fruit in the yellow spectrum like plum, apple and tropical notes of pineapple.

Dom Pérignon Legacy Edition 2008 marks the historical handover of an extraordinary wine-making legacy. Richard Geoffrey, the legendary Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon for nearly 30 years, is to hand over the creative reigns of the illustrious Dom Pérignon maison to Vincent Chaperon; and to mark the occasion a special signed bottle is available in limited quantities.

Weather: 2008 was dominated by grey, overcast skies – an exception in a decade characterized by bold, generous sunshine. Spring and summer rought the same lack of sunlight and absence of high temperatures. It was September that saved the vintage, belatedly and miraculously. Just when the harvest was getting underway (on September 15), the weather conditions were finally perfect: blue skies and prolonged north-northeasterly winds. Picking was spread out over a long period in order to benefit from this positive turn of events. The grapes were riper than anyone dared hope, and had truly outstanding balance. The vines were in perfect health.

News Article: Read more about Dom Pérignon 2008 in our review of the launch event here.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru
Grape Varieties: 50% Pinot Noir | 50% Chardonnay
Ageing: 7 years on the lees
Dosage: 5g/l
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink: Now to 2040+

Tasting Note: Rich fruit. Nose is quite forward, with that trade mark match-strike smokey character subtly coming through. Smokey bacon, pineapple and guava on the palate with underlying ripe lemons and bright red apples, all wrapped around a texture from long lees ageing. Finishes very fresh and light, dances on the palate with a hint of that saline and twist of bitterness which really help balance the delicacy and finish.

Uniquely only available as a vintage champagne produced in exceptional years from just two grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Dom Pérignon is an iconic wine with an unrivalled heritage. Often considered one of the founding fathers of Champagne itself, the Benedictine Monk Dom Pierre Pérignon spent forty-seven years working between 1668 and 1715 in the historic Abbey of Hautvillers pursuing his ambition to create the "best wine in the world".

Each vintage is a creation, singular and unique, that expresses both the character of the year, and the character of Dom Pérignon. After at least eight years of lees ageing in the cellars, the wine enters its first phase of interest, Plenitude 1, showing quite youthful fruit and broad texture from the lees contact. The signature Dom Pérignon aromatic is that "hint smoky" character a result of the reductive winemaking where they go to extreme lengths to keep each step of the winemaking process free of oxygen. With every sip of Dom Perignon you always have that purity of fruit character, depending on the vintage you normally see the Pinot Noir fruit dominate, which are those red fruits like raspberry, peach and dark cherry. The Chardonnay adds a supporting layer of chalky texture and delicious fruit in the yellow spectrum like plum, apple and tropical notes of pineapple.

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.

Cellar Master: Vincent Chaperon
Winery Location: Épernay | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Côte des Blancs
Annual Production (bottles): Undisclosed