Dom Pérignon, the legacy of a monk

The history of the vintage

At Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers Abbey, the Moët & Chandon house perpetuates the legend of Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who contributed to the development of champagne. According to legend, this monk invented champagne by sealing bottles of white wine with beeswax. The flow of sugar caused a second fermentation, giving rise to the effervescence and foam specific to Champagne wines. Dom Pérignon was also a master of blending, blending the best grapes and different grape varieties to obtain a harmonious wine. This champagne is therefore the legacy of the visionary monk.

The house Moët & Chandon, owner of the abbey since 1823, markets exceptional vintages from the best Champagne vintages under the Dom Pérignon brand. The house marketed the first vintage, that of 1921, in 1936. Since then, 46 other vintages have been produced.

Who was this monk ?

Dom Pérignon, real name Pierre Pérignon, was a French Benedictine monk born in 1638 in Champagne, France. He spent most of his life at the Hautvillers monastery. He worked there as a cellarer and responsible for wine production.

Dom Pérignon is famous for its contribution to improving the quality of Champagne wine, through its winemaking techniques. He worked in particular on improving production methods but also on mixing grapes from different vines and different varieties to obtain more harmonious wines. It offered new methods for bottle fermentation, making it possible to produce finer, more sparkling wines.

Although legend credits the monk with the invention of champagne, he did not create this effervescent drink but worked on improving it. In fact, champagne already existed before Dom Pérignon and was known as “foam wine”.

Dom Pérignon died in 1715 at the age of 77 and remains an emblematic figure in the history of Champagne wine production.

The particularities of Dom Pérignon champagne

An ambitious vintage, this Champagne is only produced in good years.

According to Richard Geoffroy, the former cellar master: “the grapes are never the same from one year to the next. If a harvest does not meet Dom Pérignon’s criteria, there will be no vintage that year. This is not a value judgment, but an aesthetic vision.”

The grapes come from a vineyard classified as Premier Cru, located at the Abbaye d’Hautvilliers. These others vineyards producing Dom Pérignon are Grand Cru and are among the most beautiful in the region.

The style of Dom Pérignon Champagne owes much to the iconic cellar master Richard Geoffroy. He led the house for 28 years and helped create balanced, harmonious and magnificent vintages thanks to his skills as an oenologist.

The House markets three types of vintages, the most famous of which is the Dom Pérignon Vintage. Each bottle bears the vintage of the harvest and is on the market approximately nine years after production. Richard Geoffroy is at the origin of the Plénitude vintages. This is a series of Dom Pérignon vintages offering additional years of aging. The P2 vintage is marketed after maturation on lees for 12 to 15 years. The P3 vintage is marketed after approximately 25 years of maturation on lees.

Each Dom Pérignon vintage offers a unique experience and invites consumers to savor the passing of time, encouraging hedonism and leaving lasting memories.

House news

Vincent Chaperon studied oenology at the University of Burgundy and graduated in 1996. He then worked for the champagne houses G.H. Mumm and Ruinart before joining Moët & Chandon in 1999. During his career at Moët & Chandon, he was involved in the creation of several new vintages.

In 2005, Vincent Chaperon was appointed deputy cellar master of Moët & Chandon. He worked alongside cellar master Richard Geoffroy. In 2019, after the latter’s departure, he was appointed cellar master of the house.

The LVMH group, owner of major Champagne houses such as Ruinart, Mercier and Krug, owns the Dom Pérignon brand via its subsidiary Moët & Chandon. They still propagate the legacy of the monk today.

The best vintages of the cuvée

The vintages of Dom Perignon are as follows: 1921, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975 , 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 .