Dom Perignon Vintage 2012

The wine in this vintage

Spring frost, hail and downy mildew made 2012 a challenging start, with drastically reduced yields. A warm summer and a glorious September then ripened few but exceptionally concentrated bunches, producing one of the finest vintages of the decade. Dom Pérignon Vintage 2012 combines intensity and drive: ripe citrus, white flowers, yellow-fleshed fruit and a chalky undertone, with a dense yet vibrant palate that ends long and saline. Critics were unanimous, with 97 points from both James Suckling and Antonio Galloni. It is already deeply satisfying, but its energy promises a long evolution ahead.

The producer · Dom Perignon

Dom Pérignon takes its name from Pierre Pérignon, the Benedictine cellar master of the Abbey of Hautvillers in the late seventeenth century, whom tradition regards as the spiritual father of Champagne for his pioneering approach to blending. The house, closely tied to Moët & Chandon and now part of LVMH, released its first vintage, the 1921, in 1936, effectively inventing the prestige cuvée. Dom Pérignon is made only as a vintage wine, and only in years judged worthy, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir drawn from the finest crus of the region, with Hautvillers as its symbolic home. The style pursues a constant tension between the two grapes, between power and precision, with a mineral, toasty signature that unfolds slowly over years. Alongside the Vintage, the house releases a Rosé and the Plénitudes, later releases of the same vintage after far longer ageing on the lees, which show how the wine transforms with time. Few names embody the very idea of great Champagne so completely.

Critics' scores

• 97 James Suckling
• 97 Antonio Galloni
• 96 Robert Parker
• 96 Wine Spectator
• 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Dom Perignon

Region

Champagne

Country

Francia

Type

Bollicine

Vintage

2012

When to drink

Hold, still evolving

Critics' average

96.5/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0420112