For each vintage and from its inception, a limited number of bottles are set aside in the cellars, predestined for longer maturation. With this extra time, the inner activity in the bottle increases. The yeast transfers its energy to the wine… a mysterious transfer of life.
After close to 15 years, expansion of energy reaches its peak and Dom Pérignon rises to an apex of essential, radiant vitality in its state of Plénitude. Elevated to new heights, it unfurls across every dimension – wider, deeper, longer, more intense – and gifted further with an extended longevity.
2003 is a year that will remain forever ingrained in the memory of Champagne, the year when everything changed. While the effects of climate change had been observed since the late 1980s, they became brutally tangible in 2003, definitively capturing our collective attention. The combination of a severe frost in the spring – resulting in the loss of 70% of the potential chardonnay grape harvest from the Côte des Blancs – and a scorching August heatwave that people still recall, imposed the earliest harvest in the history of Champagne since 1822.
Champagne began to pick grapes on August 21 amidst total surprise and great precipitation. The grapes harvested were perfectly ripe and healthy. Like 2010, and indeed like all extreme and atypical vintages, 2003 dictated an engagement with the rhythms of nature and taking risks.
Dom Pérignon was one of very few houses to interpret 2003, a year which was influenced by significant effects of climate change. The maison has made this challenge possible through accompanied nature and assimilated changes in the Champagne region’s climate. The Maison has seized an opportunity to trend towards an ever-greater intensity in its champagnes, while taking up the challenge of preserving freshness. Grape harvests in recent years have validated the forward-looking choices made in 2003, enabling Dom Pérignon to pursue a trajectory of long-term engagement with structural changes in its viticulture and oenology practices.
2003 perfectly illustrates Dom Pérignon’s conception of taking risks. Please enjoy a vintage which perfectly demonstrates the effect of climate change as well as bold and creative action that successfully expressed the uniqueness of the year.
< DOM PÉRIGNON VINTAGE 2003 PLÉNITUDE 2 >
The Seasons:
After a particularly harsh, dry winter, early April brought severe frosts that caused significant losses.
Going from one extreme to the other, temperatures began rising in late May to reach exceptional highs – a heat wave that brought the Champagne region its hottest summer in fifty-three years and the driest in a decade.
With ripening accelerated by the heat and low grape yield, to everyone’s surprise, harvesting began on the 21st of August. It was the earliest Champagne harvest since 1822, producing a ripe and healthy crop. Ultimately, the contrasting weather conditions during the year resulted in remarkably luscious, highly concentrated grapes, recalling the legendary vintages of 1947, 1959 and 1976.
Nose:
The bouquet reveals itself in a spiral. Out of the floral softness of lime tree emerges the grey, toasted, ashy minerality so typical of Dom Pérignon.
A taste of dried fruit – apricot – appears, then the candied fruitiness of raspberry and fig. Unexpectedly, the freshness of lemon verbena, white pepper and rosemary rises for an instant, before plunging into the darkness of spices and liquorice root.
Palate:
This is a physical wine. It calls to you and draws you in, more tactile and vibrant than aromatic. Like a wave, it is built on rhythm and breaks: first it unfolds, then envelops – generous and structured – before withdrawing into a deep, dark verticality that slowly stretches towards a bitter, sapid iodine sensation.
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■Comment from Dom Pérignon Cellar Master Vincent Chaperon.
“Dom Pérignon and refined gastronomy have a mutually inspiring and elevating relationship. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chef Natsuko Shoji for the past two years, and I’ve been continually impressed by her deep love for Dom Pérignon, her unique personality, artistic sense, creativity, and above all, her humanity. She also demonstrates a thoughtful approach to passing on her legacy to the next generation through meaningful dialogue with others. I am truly looking forward to continuing our journey together. ”Dom Pérignon and refined gastronomy have a relationship of mutual inspiration and enhancement. I have been working with Chef Natsuko Shoji for two years now, and she has a love for Dom Pérignon, a unique personality, artistry, creativity, and yet is very human. I am also impressed by her thoughtfulness regarding inheritance to the next generation and her attitude of communicating with various people. I am very much looking forward to working with her in the future."
■ Comment from été Chef Natsuko Shoji.
“Dom Pérignon is a truly special champagne to me. As it is often called ‘the art of time,’ it is not swayed by fleeting trends, but is crafted with a long-term perspective, maintaining its singular taste to this day. Remarkably, about 1% of the grapes used still come from the vineyards cultivated by Dom Pierre Pérignon himself since 1668, preserving the origin at its core. I see it as a true piece of art that carries his DNA. It is an incredible honor to collaborate with Dom Pérignon.”