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Dom-perignon

When Dom Pérignon releases a new vintage, this becomes headlines! As you may know, Dom Pérignon only works with vintage champagne which means it will never release a “weak year”. Since 1921, the Champagne brand has been produced only in 42 vintages. The first Rosé was released in 1959 and since then only 26 Rosé vintages were produced. In 1971, the Shah of Iran ordered several bottles of the first vintage of Dom Pérignon Rosé (the 1959) for the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire. A bottle of that champagne, from that order, was sold at auction for €24,758 in 2008.

This year Dom Pérignon is releasing the Rosé 2006 Vintage. The result is purely magnetic, playing with the different natural aspects of that year.

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Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2006: A True Mastery of Champagne making

Each vintage at Dom Pérignon is a piece of art. The different natural elements of a given year become different colours in the Maitre de Chais palette. To understand the 2006 vintage edition, we need to remember how was the weather conditions that year. Overall, the weather that year was pretty warm and dry. Nevertheless, there were some contrasts that helped to build the foundations of exceptional champagne. Europe was hit by an intense heat wave in July while August was strangely 2,500-year and damp. This would have been complete chaos if September would not have been better. September turned temperatures up again, extending the summer until late September. It saved the year by drying out the few places where botrytis was developing and leading to fruit ripeness.

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These weather conditions elevate the challenge to work with Pinot Noir grapes. The amplitude of such temperatures creates a true tension in the Pinot Noir which can result in an unpleasant result. Dom Pérignon became a true expert in this cepage which allows and it required all the know-how from Vincent Chaperon, Dom Pérignon Chef de Cave, to take 2006 to the level of an exceptional year. Mr Chaperon joined Dom Pérignon in 2018 and have collaborated with the former Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy in the latest vintage editions. Vincent Chaperon officially succeeds from Richard Geoffroy on January 1, 2019. He will take responsibility for the material legacy of the existing vintages, embody the vision and heritage of Dom Pérignon, and carry on the commitment to vintages that defines the “raison d’être” of Dom Pérignon champagne.

According to Dom Pérignon, the Rosé Vintage 2006 has a complex yet mesmerizing bouquet. The first notes will strike by the interesting blend of dark spices and cocoa. It will then develop very quickly into fruit aromas with roasted fig, apricot and candied orange. The whole structure will be wrapped into smoky and warm accents.

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On the palate, its intensity will be striking and will set the tone through the sweetness and crisp punch of the flavours. This new vintage expresses an appealing brininess and saline character. That is why each Dom Pérignon is a unique experience that will appeal to all your senses.

Dom Pérignon And The Art Of Vintage Champagne

Dom Pérignon has a strong and absolute commitment to vintages. Each edition is created only from the best grapes grown in one single year. This is a true challenge because the Chef de Cave needs to reinvent and interpret the seasons. It embodies the total faith in the power of creation that is constantly renewed by Chef de Cave Vincent Chaperon.

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The first vintage of Dom Pérignon was 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936, sailing to New York in the liner Normandie. Forty-two vintages later, the luxury Champagne French house is still surprising and amazing us with beautiful creations. It perpetuates a secular tradition and know-how, introduced by Dom Pérignon, a monk and cellar master who lived in the 17th century in Hautvillers. He pionneered a number of winemaking techniques:

  • The first to blend grapes in such a way as to improve the quality of wines
  • Perfecting the art of producing clear white wines from black grapes by clever manipulation of the presses
  • Enhancing the tendency of Champagne wines to retain their natural sugar in order to naturally induce secondary fermentation in the spring
  • Introduction of corks (instead of wood)
  • Usage of thicker glass in order to strengthen the bottles 

If you have the chance to appreciate the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2006, you will feel yourself onboard of a unique journey into a thousand wonders. From a true Champenois tradition to the exquisite delight to your palate.

José Amorim
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.