What Are The Different Types Of Dom Perignon

Dom Perignon is a champagne luxury brand produced by the House of Moet & Chandon in France. The iconic champagne got its name from a 17th-century Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, a historical pioneer in the traditional art of champagne winemaking.

Dom Perignon traces its earliest origins to 1688, but its premier vintage of Dom Perignon wasn’t produced until 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936. Dom Perignon was Moet & Chandon’s first prestige cuvee, an idea proposed by Englishman Laurence Venn. Each year, about 5 million bottles of Dom Perignon are reportedly produced.

Dom Perignon is vintage-only champagne, produced from just Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. The champagne is only produced in the best years, and all grapes used to make the wine are harvested in the same year. This ensures that the champagne has a consistent and unique taste every year, and keeps each year’s distinct flavour intact.

What are the different types of Dom Perignon?

1. In terms of aging and maturity, there are 3 different types (or stages called plenitude) of Dom Perignon champagne. These are:

• The first stage of maturity (also called vintage), Plenitude 1 (or P1, for short): Generally released after 7-9 years in the cellar. P1 Dom Perignon wines are characteristically bubbly and quite acidic, with strong minerality.
• The second stage of maturity, Plenitude 2 (P2): Formerly called Oenotheque. These are vintages aged from 12 to 14 years at the winery. The extended aging on the lees gives them more richness and a stronger aroma. They may also develop some smoky or spicy notes.
• The third stage of maturity, Plenitude 3 (P3): Vintage wines that have reached full maturity after spending a minimum of 20 years on lees. They are dense wines offering rich, powerful fruity flavors and less dominant bubbles.

2. According to the style of winemaking, Moet & Chandon makes two types of Dom Perignon. These are:

• Dom Perignon Brut (White): This is produced from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, offering notes of apple and citrus with strong minerality.
• Dom Perignon Rose: This style of Dom Perignon is produced primarily from Pinot Noir. It presents flavours of red fruit and cream with floral aromatics, especially rose.

Both of these styles can be released as Vintage, P2, or P3.

Why is Dom Perignon Vintage released in stages?

Any Dom Perignon vintage is not deemed ready for release until it’s considered sufficiently mature and ready to be enjoyed. Each plenitude presents its unique flavor profile, although they are all produced in strict adherence to the Moet & Chandon House style.

Like any quality vintage Champagne, Dom Perignon gets richer, more mature, nuttier, and more complex with more time on the lees.

Now that you know the different types and styles of Dom Perignon, you’re well on your way to becoming a champagne connoisseur!