Dom Pérignon Brut Champagne 2013

Just as Champagne has become an international symbol of celebration and luxury, Dom Pérignon, the prestige cuvée from Moët & Chandon, has become one of the most recognizable labels in Champagne. Dom Pérignon can easily be considered the King of Champagne and is only made in specific vintages, never a blend of vintages. Each vintage is a creation, singular and unique, made up of an approximate 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that expresses both the character of the year, and the character of Dom Pérignon. After at least eight years of integration in the cellars, the wine embodies the perfect balance they seek out at Dom Pérignon to reach a perfect harmony of flavors, texture and brightness. For 28 years, Richard Geoffroy has been the bearer of the Dom Pérignon creative ambition, unwavering commitment to an aesthetic ideal. He has shaped the Dom Pérignon project in his own style and has driven each vintage further through excellence. After guiding Vincent Chaperon on this long path of initiation, knowledge, and mastery, Richard Geoffroy was ready to hand over this intangible heritage: the Dom Pérignon inspiration and creation. Vincent had spent 13 years working alongside Richard Geoffroy, sensing, mastering and creating. He brings to the Dom Pérignon project his sensitivity to viticulture and his commitment to progress. And now it falls to him to pursue the Dom Pérignon ques of excellence. 

The 2013 winemaking year proved a welcome reconnection with the glorious past of late harvest vintages. After a cold, wet winter, spring was gray, quite cool and extremely rainy. The vines began budding about two weeks later than the average for the decade, a delay that lasted all the way until the harvest. The hot and dry summer was the sunniest on record in the Champagne region, proving particularly beneficial for the quality of the grapes. Rain in early September quickly ceded to easterly winds that kept the grapes healthy until they were picked.

The delicate nose unfolds in swaths of color.  The green of eucalyptus, mint, and vetiver, the yellow-orange of mirabelle plums, apricot, and orange blossom, the brown of pepper, cardamom, and licorice sticks, and finally silvery saline and toasty hues.  The mouthfeel is elegant, expressing luxuriant simplicity and precision.  The refined and silky foundation becomes more pronounced at the heart.  The finish is dominated by a salinity that leaves a deep sensation of consistency.  The creation of the 2013 vintage reveals the resonance between the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, between acidity and full-bodied.