Dom Perignon Vintage 2003
- Vintage
- 2003
- Country
- France
- Region
- Champagne
- Size
- 750ml
- Grapes
- Chardonnay
- Rating
- WA94, WS94, ST93
The bouquet spirals through a light-filled, floral softness to the gritty minerality that epitomises Dom Perignon, evocative of candied fruit, plant life and exquisite camphor leaf freshness, and finally plunges into darkness, spices and licorice root. On the palate, the wine still has a physical presence. It is striking and demading, tactile and vibrant rather than aromatic. It is built on rhythm and rupture more than harmony. After an initial cloud of stofness, we hit a mineralised verticality that gradually opens out to suggest a bitter, iodised and saline nobility. - Winemaker's Notes
The Moet & Chandon Brut Champagne Cuvee Dom Perignon 2003, which will be released early next year, displayed rich aromas of honey, brioche and hints of vanilla. Though round and sumptuous, there was bright citrus, peach and a focus on the finish that retained elegance, freshness, finesse and complexity (94 points, non-blind). With air, it became more textural, with a ginger note and a distinctive mineral streak. - WS94
Unfortunately there is only one new release from Dom Perignon this year. The 2003 is one of the most unusual Dom Perignons I have ever tasted, going back to 1952. Readers will remember that 2003 was a torrid vintage across northern Europe, especially during the critical month of August, when temperatures remained very hot for well over a month. The harvest was the earliest on record, until 2011, that is. I suppose its not that surprising Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy chose to make a 2003 Dom Perignon, given his penchant for risk-taking, an approach that has yielded so many memorable wines that stretch the perception of what big brand Champagne is and can be. The 2003 Dom Perignon is a big, broad shouldered wine. It does not have the seductiveness of the 2000, nor the power of the 2002. It is instead very much its own wine. In 2003 Geoffroy elected to use more Pinot Noir than is typically the case, and that comes through in the wine's breath and volume. The 2003 is a big, powerful Champagne that will require quite a bit of time to shed some of its baby fat. The trademark textural finesse is there, though. I expect the 2003 to be a highly divisive Champagne because of its extreme personality, but then again, many of the world's legendary wines were made from vintages considered freakish at the time. The 2003 is an atypically, rich, powerful, vinous Dom Perignon loaded with fruit, structure and personality. It is not for the timid, but rather it is a wine for those who can be patient. No one has a crystal ball, but personally I will not be surprised if in 20 years' time the 2003 is considered an iconic Champagne. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2038. - WA94+
Pale yellow-gold. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes lemon pith, pear, iodine and chalky minerals. Ripe and densely packed but lively, offering candied citrus fruit flavors and deeper notes of anise and fig. Becomes spicier and stonier with air, finishing with strong punch and lingering smokiness and minerality. More open-knit and overtly ripe that most of the 2002 version, with plenty of depth and the richness and weight that distinguish this hot vintage. - ST93
Dom Pérignon can trace its origins back to the Abbey of Saint Pierre d'Hautvillers in northern France – the so-called birthplace of Champagne.
The 17th-Century Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon is credited with its invention after taking up the position as the abbey's cellarer and procurator in 1668. Pierre Pérignon spent the remaining 47 years of his life striving to create the "best wine in the world", with his wine even gracing the tables of the court of King Louis XIV, the Sun King. To this day the Abbey of Saint Pierre d'Hautvillers houses the "Le Traité de la culture des vignes de Champagne", or the "Treaty on the culture of the vines of Champagne", which is a manuscript that was penned by Dom Pierre Pérignon’s pupil and successor.
The Dom Pérignon brand name was first registered by Eugène Mercier, the founder of Mercier Champagne. He subsequently sold the brand to the Moët & Chandon Champagne house, who used the Dom Pérignon name for its prestige cuvée first released in 1937. Both Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon are now part of the LVMH group, with Richard Geoffroy, chef de cave since 1990, at the helm.
Dom Pérignon has set down its guiding winemaking principles in a manifesto. This document declares Dom Pérignon's commitment to vintage wine blended from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Geoffroy is in charge of declaring a Dom Pérignon vintage. Indeed, he has achieved the rare feat of overseeing the release of five vintages in a row, from 2002 to 2006. Each vintage is unique, with grapes sourced from only the best vineyards in Champagne. Unlike most Champagne producers who harvest the grapes early, Geoffroy prefers to wait for the grapes to ripen slowly.
From 2014, Dom Pérignon abandoned the term oenothèque to describe its late-release Champagnes, but has instead replaced this with the term Plénitude. This style is achieved when the wine is left in contact with the lees for a slow, but active maturation. This process occurs in stages and is carefully monitored by the chef de cave. When a window of opportunity, or "plénitude", presents itself, the wine is disgorged and released to consumers.
Each vintage has three Plénitudes. The first occurs after approximately nine years and is called Dom Pérignon Vintage. The wine reaches its second Plénitude at approximately 12-15 years and this is Dom Pérignon P2, formerly known as the first oenothèque. The final Plénitude, Dom Pérignon P3, occurs after approximately 25 years. - information from wine searcher