Dom Pérignon is vintage champagne only. Each vintage is a creation, singular and unique, that expresses both the character of the year, and the character of Dom Pérignon. After at least eight years of elaboration in the cellars, the wine embodies the perfect balance of Dom Pérignon, the Plénitude of harmony. The creation of the 2013 vintage reveals the resonance between the pinots noirs and chardonnays, between acidity and fullbodied.
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 harvest at Dom Pérignon begins on September 28. Tasting this vintage revealed a promising balance between acidic and full-bodied.
The creation of the 2013 vintage reveals the resonance between the pinots noirs and chardonnays, between acidity and fullbodied. The precise, elegant and tactile bouquet blooms in an extremely delicate powdery aromatic braid around three nuances: first citrus, then a more vegetal facet and lastly, spices. This precision reveals a simple and evident elegance where the wine, after an ethereal attack, amplifies and blossoms before ceding to an ineffable sensation of clarity.
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.
A driven and serious DP with aromas of chalk, biscuits, apricot stones and lemons. Some spice and dried flowers, too. So sleek and sophisticated. Elegant. Yet, it’s long and powerful, with a sharp minerality. Tight and precise. Reminds me of bottles from the 1980s, such as 1988. It really takes off. Disgorged October 2021. Drinkable on release in January 2023, but better in a couple of years. A DP for the cellar. - James Suckling, 98 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - Champagne
Varietal - 51% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir
Country - France
Region - Champagne
Vintage - 2013
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12.5%
