London 67 Pall Mall | Wednesday 21st November 2018 | Aperitif 18:30 | Tasting 19:00-22:00
Dom Perignon one of a kind Champagne tasting with Richard Geoffroy, Vincent Chaperon, and Jancis Robinson MW.
In January 2019, legendary winemaker Richard Geoffroy stepped down as Dom Perignon Chef de Cave. A man almost as famous as the champagne he makes, Geoffroy’s tenure at Dom Perignon is unparalleled. Since taking over in 1990, he has overseen 28 harvests, produced 15 Blanc and 11 Rosé vintages, and introduced the hugely successful Plénitude program that has revolutionised our understanding of how champagnes ages. The legacy he hands down to successor Vincent Chaperon is one of the greatest in Champagne history.
To honour his magnificent achievements from 1990 to 2009, a once-in-a-lifetime champagne tasting was organised by The Finest Bubble in London.
A blind comparison of all 15 Blanc vintages and 7 Rosé vintages that Richard Geoffroy and Vincent Chaperon have declared between them.
The 23 champagnes incorporated all three levels of Plénitude, a concept initiated by Richard Geoffroy to highlight the unique evolutionary stages of Dom Perignon’s development.
Guests had the privilege of tasting from every size format that Dom Perignon is produced in, including bottle, Magnum, Jeroboam and an exceptionally rare 6L Methuselah of Dom Perignon 2002. To my knowledge, this is the most comprehensive vertical tasting of Dom Perignon ever.
The tasting was overseen Richard Geoffroy, Vincent Chaperon and Jancis Robinson MW. Geoffroy and Chaperon shared their personal experiences and memories of each vintage, while Jancis provided expert critical insight into the nuances of this world-famous champagne.
23 Dom Perignon Champagnes tasted
Blanc
- P3 1990 75cl- 100/100
- P2 1992 75cl unfortunately tainted bottle
- P2 1993 75cl 95/100
- P2 1995 75cl 100/100
- P2 1996 75cl 98/100
- P2 1998 75cl 96/100
- P1 1999 1.5L 95/100
- P2 2000 1.5L 96/100
- P1 2002 6L 98/100
- P2 2002 75cl Exclusive preview 100/100
- P1 2003 75cl 96/100
- P1 2004 3.0L 98/100
- P1 2005 1.5L 96/100
- P1 2006 75cl 97/100
- P1 2008 75cl – Legacy Edition – exclusive preview 100/100
- P1 2009 75cl 94/100
Rosé
- P3 1990 1.5L – exclusive preview 100/100
- P2 1995 75cl 100/100
- P2 1996 75cl 98/100
- P1 2002 1.5L 98/100
- P1 2003 75cl 96/100
- P1 2004 75cl 96/100
- P1 2005 75cl 95/100
This tasting gave the exclusive opportunity to be amongst the first in the world to taste five as yet unreleased Dom Perignon vintages, including the highly anticipated Dom Perignon 2008 Legacy Edition. Previewing unreleased Dom Perignon vintages is a remarkable privilege consumers are rarely, if ever, afforded. This event was simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Both Dom Perignon 2009 and Dom Perignon 2002 from Methuselah were served as an apéritif on arrival. As guests, we were able to rate each Dom Perignon using our live scoring app on a phone or tablet. Voting and scoring stats were presented and discussed throughout the evening.
Jancis Robinson MW: Described by Decanter magazine as ‘the most respected wine critic and journalist in the world’, Jancis writes daily for JancisRobinson.com (voted first-ever Wine Website of the Year) and weekly for The Financial Times. She is also editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, an award-winning TV presenter and global wine judge. In 1984 she was the first person outside of the wine trade to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exams and in 2003 she was awarded an OBE.
Richard Geoffroy (Dom Perignon Chef de Cave 1990-2018): Widely recognised as one of champagne’s greatest ever minds, Geoffroy’s defining moment was his introduction of the Plénitude concept – three distinct stages of maturation in which Dom Perignon reaches newfound levels of complexity and is reborn several times. In 2009, Geoffroy published his Dom Perignon manifesto; ten inimitable rules for the creation of Dom Perignon.
Vincent Chaperon (Dom Perignon Assistant Winemaker 2005-2018): Chaperon started at Moët & Chandon in 1999, eventually joining the Dom Perignon team in 2005 as head of red wine production for Dom Perignon Rosé. He has worked side-by-side with Geoffroy for 13 harvests, four of which have thus far been declared vintages. Chaperon took over as Dom Perignon Chef de Cave in January 2019.
The venue will be 67 Pall Mall (St James’s, London, SW1Y 5ES). Founded by wine lovers for wine lovers, this unique private members’ club in the heart of historic St James’s is both luxurious and welcoming, affording members access to some of the finest and rarest wines in the world, direct from the club’s extensive cellars.
Special thanks to Nick Baker for his professionalism and excellent tasting organised by the Finest Bubble in London.
To view some photos of the event, click the thumbnails below
