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.
Weather: The 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Relatively low yields due to various weather conditions throughout the year. The winter months brought some frosts and hail which damaged the early stages of bud burst. August and September were very warm and this helped rescue and give the grapes a stunning maturity.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Predominantly Grand Cru and Hautvilliers (Premier Cru)
Grape Varieties: 51% Pinot Noir | 49% Chardonnay
Ageing: 7 years on the lees
Disgorged: September 2020
Dosage: 5 g/l
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink: Now to 2030
Tasting Note: Dom Pérignon ended up being equipped with an amazing choice of exciting and versatile building blocks for the 2012 cuvée, especially on the Pinot Noir front with the wines from these villages looking very strong; Aÿ, Verzenay, Bouzy and Hautvillers. A vintage of both freshness and density, the nose is so welcoming with DP’s hallmark smoky charm, deeply fruity. The wine’s most unique feature is the scintillating or tingling sensation that takes over and energises the rich, round and compact palate. It is almost as if its electrically charged as this nervousness and vibrancy bring such an exciting dynamism on the long, deliciously succulent palate. Dom Pérignon have done it again!
Vol: 700ml
abv: 12.5%
Vintage: 2013
