The undisputed star of Champagnes, Dom Pérignon seduces with its cuvées of exceptional aromatic complexity and perfect harmony. But how many bottles of Dom Pérignon are produced each year to satisfy demand from the four corners of the world? Vinatis answers the question!
Dom Pérignon is one of the biggest and best-known Champagne Houses, with a worldwide reputation for its unique, complex wines. With its philosophy of striving for the ultimate perfection in Champagne, the brand has become a symbol of refinement and prestige.
The story of Dom Pérignon began in the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers, overlooking the Marne valley, the heart of Champagne. It is closely linked to that of the Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon, famous for having laid the foundations of the Champagne winemaking method.
From 1668, Pierre Pérignon, born in Sainte-Menehould, was appointed cellarer of this abbey, founded in 650 AD by Saint Nivard, Archbishop of Reims. Destroyed and rebuilt several times over several centuries, Hautvillers Abbey was rebuilt at the instigation of Catherine de Médicis. On his arrival, Dom Pierre Pérignon or Dom procureur continued the renovation work and built new buildings.
In addition to monastic affairs, Dom Pierre Pérignon was responsible for developing the activities of the Hautvillers abbey vineyard, which increased in size to around 25 hectares. Aspiring to create the "best wine in the world", the monk Dom Pérignon was also renowned for his talents as an enologist.
Thanks to his exceptional know-how, he greatly improved the quality of the still wines from Hautvillers Abbey. This illustrious monk introduced a number of revolutionary techniques, including the careful blending of grapes from different crus and different grape varieties in Champagne (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier). Dom Pérignon also pioneered gentle, fractional pressing to produce white juices from black grapes.
According to legend, Dom Pérignon was also behind the Champagne winemaking method. He is said to have discovered a technique for controlling the foaming of Champagne wine. This Benedictine monk is said to have applied the ancient art of making sparkling wines from Limoux, which he learned on a pilgrimage to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Hilaire in Languedoc, to the wines of Champagne. Dom Pérignon also invented the cork stopper and thicker glass to strengthen wine bottles.
Died in 1715, this contemporary of Louis XIV devoted more than 45 years of his life to creating and improving the wine of Champagne. However, there is no written document attesting that Dom Pierre Pérignon was the sole initiator of the Champagne method.
After the death of the monk Dom Pérignon, the abbey's activities continued before coming to a definitive halt during the French Revolution in 1789. During the revolts of the time, most of the infrastructure was destroyed.
In 1823, Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers Abbey became the property of Pierre Gabriel Chandon, Jean-Rémy Moët's son-in-law. However, the first cuvée named Dom Pérignon was not produced until 1921 and marketed in 1935. Like Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart, the Dom Pérignon brand now belongs to the luxury goods group LVMH, through Moët & Chandon.
Today, the Dom Pérignon brand is the embodiment of wine-making expertise of excellence, jealously preserved and enriched over the centuries. However, for this prestigious brand, "quality" does not necessarily mean "rarity". No other brand in the world has managed to produce so many bottles of exceptional Champagne. But just how many bottles are produced each year? The mystery remains. All we know is that the figure is equivalent to several million bottles.
Successive cellar masters have always carefully kept secret the volume of bottles produced each year, sales figures and other statistics. If these figures were to be revealed, they could undermine the skilful alchemy involved in creating Dom Pérignon Champagnes. By cultivating secrecy around the brand, Dom Pérignon is increasingly attracting the interest of the curious and novices alike, as well as informed Champagne enthusiasts.
The uniqueness of the Dom Pérignon brand lies in its absolute commitment to vintages. This great Champagne House cultivates the exceptional by producing only vintage cuvées. This is one of the fundamental principles enshrined in the brand's Manifesto. Dom Pérignon Champagnes are made exclusively from grapes harvested in exceptional years. These grapes are used to create unique cuvées that reflect the signature of their year.
So when the weather conditions are not ideal for producing exceptional fruit, the famous brand does not release any wine. This alone reflects the unique character of this Champagne. At Dom Pérignon, quality takes precedence over yield. This rigorous approach enables the brand to maintain remarkable consistency and an unrivalled level of excellence year after year.
To meet this challenge, Dom Pérignon relies on the more than 1,200 hectares of vines belonging to the LVMH Group. These are supplemented by supplies of grapes from the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus of the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs.
For two decades, almost every harvest was deemed exceptional and worthy of bearing the Dom Pérignon label, boosting its sales considerably. However, while the brand's popularity continues to grow, it has not become commonplace. To avoid its cuvées becoming commoditised and being considered just another bottle of Champagne, Dom Pérignon is recreating rarity and attractiveness.
Richard Geoffroy, the House's former cellar master, now replaced by Vincent Chaperon, created the concept of plenitude. For this enologist and doctor of medicine, wine evolves in stages, but not in a linear fashion. At each stage, the Champagne reaches a new peak of expression. According to Richard Geoffroy, this sparkling nectar evolves in three phases called "Plénitudes". The Dom Pérignon Vintage or Rosé cuvée represents the first plenitude reached after nine years or more of slow maturation.
At Dom Pérignon, rarity takes the form of cuvées bearing the code P2 for second fullness or P3 for third fullness. Dom Pérignon P2 is an old vintage marketed after 12 to 15 years of ageing in the cellar. Even rarer and more exceptional, Dom Pérignon P3 is sold after 25 to 40 years.
In practical terms, the cellar master sets aside large volumes of vintage Champagne until it reaches its peak. Dom Pérignon has obviously never revealed the number of bottles stored in the cellar.
To maintain the consistent quality of Dom Pérignon Champagnes, it is essential to pass on the House's ancestral know-how. To achieve this, the cellar master plays an important role. For almost 30 years, Richard Geoffroy has held this position within the brand. Whenever the year permits, this expert enologist writes the story of a new vintage based on that year's grape harvests. His challenge is to bring out the personality of each vintage while retaining the distinctive Dom Pérignon style.
Succeeding Richard Geoffroy in 2019, Vincent Chaperon will continue to bring the legacy of the monk Dom Pierre Pérignon to life. With each vintage, he strives to realise his creative ambition, based on the perpetual quest for perfection of Dom Pérignon's Champagne. Vincent Chaperon relentlessly pursues the quest for an aesthetic ideal: that of creating and revealing the harmony of a constantly evolving nature.
A symbol of luxury and refinement, Dom Pérignon Champagne is so prestigious that some people do not hesitate to pay a very high price to have some in their collection. Indeed, the cost of Dom Pérignon cuvées can soar, depending on how rare they are. While a recent vintage of Dom Pérignon Vintage is available for around £200, Dom Pérignon Rosé generally costs much more. When they are released, P2s cost several hundred pounds. As for the rare P3s, their price often exceeds £1,000.
There are several reasons for the high prices of Dom Pérignon Champagnes, starting with the fact that they are made exclusively from vintages. What's more, these cuvées are the result of a long process of patience and precision. Increasing in value over time, they are also associated with an image of luxury and prestige, and enjoy a worldwide reputation, which inevitably has an impact on their price.
For centuries, Champagne wines have accompanied the festivities of high society. Associated with a festive image, over the centuries these nectars have become a veritable symbol of the art of living and refinement. Even today, they continue to be part of social events around the world. The reason for their renown lies in the exceptional cuvées produced by both small producers and leading names.
Although accessible to the greatest number of people today, Champagne retains an upmarket image through symbols of luxury and prestige such as limited-edition cuvées. These Champagnes, whose rarity further enhances their appeal and reputation, are presented in bottles as seductive as their precious contents. Champagnes to delight the eye and the taste buds!
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