Dom Perignon

Dom Pérignon (/ˌdɒmpɛrɪˈnjɒn/; French pronunciation: ​[dɔ̃peʁiɲɔ̃]) is a brand of Champagne produced by Moët et Chandon. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the champagne method for making sparkling wines.^[7] Dom Pérignon was the first prestige cuvée, an idea proposed by Englishman Laurence Venn.^[8] The first vintage of Dom Pérignon was 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936. Dom Pérignon is a vintage champagne, meaning that it is only made in the best year, and all grapes used to make the wine were harvested in the same year. Many champagnes, by contrast, are non-vintage, which means that the champagne is made from grapes harvested in various years.

Current production

Around 5 million bottles are produced in each vintage.^[8] The wine is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot noir, with 6 g/l dosage.^[8] According to Tom Stevenson, "All vintages need at least 12 years ageing to nurture Dom Pérignon's signature silky mousse".^[8] As of 2008, the current release of Dom Pérignon is from the 2000 vintage^[8] and the current release of Dom Pérignon Rosé is from the 1998 vintage. The current (2009) winemaker is Richard Geoffroy, who has been Chef de Cave for Dom Pérignon since 1998.