Is It Worth It? Dom Pérignon Champagne

When you buy something using the affiliate links on our site, we may earn a small commission.

Many people believe Dom Pérignon – a French Benedictine monk that lived in the 17th century – invented Champagne. We have already discussed this famous character, so it will not be necessary to comment on him again. Nevertheless, the fame stuck on him and Moët & Chandon used his name as the first prestige Champagne, initially released for sale in 1936.

This wine became synonymous with status and top quality. According to Wikipedia, “In 1971, the Shah of Iran ordered several bottles of the first vintage of Dom Pérignon Rosé (the 1959) for the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire. A bottle of that champagne, from that order, was sold at auction for €24,758 in 2008.” And it was also “chosen for the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles. The magnums of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 served on that July 29 carried a special insignia created just for the ceremony.”

It must be stressed that Dom Pérignon is always millesimé, that is, produced from a single year and not in bad crops. But, is it worth it? Should you pay $150-200 for a bottle instead of the regular Moët & Chandon, at $39 each? Gentleman’s Gazette will discuss that.

Moët & Chandon

The Maison started as Moët & Cie. in 1743. Ninety years later, Pierre-Gabriel Chandon joined the company, becoming a partner of Jean-Rémy Moët. They merged with Hennessy, one of the four great cognac companies, in 1971; finally, in 1987, with Louis Vuitton, creating LVMH, the largest luxury group in the world.

LVMH

It is interesting to know that the LVMH group also owns Dom Pérignon, Krug, Mercier, Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot. Each year, Moët & Chandon produces 26 million bottles and Veuve Clicquot produces 10 million; together, they represent more than 12 percent of the Champagne production. If you consider 5 million as the production of Dom Pérignon, you have five bottles of Moët & Chandon for each bottle of the prestige cuvée.

The Difference Between a Regular and a Premium Champagne

This, we believe, is the main point one should ponder before spending almost four times more for a bottle. The production of Dom Pérignon is five times smaller than that of the NV (“non-vintage”) Champagne of the Maison.

Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial
Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial

Remember, a Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial (a label created in 1869) is a non-vintage Champagne, meaning that it is produced with more than 100 different wines from 200 crus (villages), traditionally with 30-40% Pinot Noir (for the body), 30-40% Pinot Meunier (for suppleness), 20-30% Chardonnay (for finesse) and 20-30% reserve wines.

The Maison tries to maintain the house style every year: that is the spirit of the NV Champagne. The aficionado will return to the label to find the same set of characteristics that he/she grew fond of. In the case of the Brut Impérial, you will find honey, green apples, citric notes, white flowers, brioche, and a touch of gooseberry. It is considered a light, delicate wine.

As to the relative value of the Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial, if the ratings may help us, Wine Enthusiast gave it 89 points, saying that it remains “Unchallenged as the world’s best-selling Champagne… It has become slightly drier over the years, currently emphasizing the fruit quality with apple and lime flavors. The acidity and crisp texture make it immediately attractive. Light and fruity at the end, it is a good apéritif wine.” Cellar Tracker, a popular wine discussion and tasting website, gives it 87.7 points, based on 750 user reviews.

All in all, I would say that it is a good rating – not remarkable, but good enough to make me seriously consider the Brut Impérial next time I’m out shopping for French bubblies.

Dom Pérignon and its intrinsic value

Take a look at this great ad from Dom Pérignon with Christoph Waltz and you will begin to understand its allure.

First, we must remember that Dom Pérignon is a millesimé Champagne – its blend and thus its tasting characteristics depend on the vintage conditions: rain, cold, hours of sun, the maturity of grapes, etc. There will be good vintages and there will be outstanding vintages, and the price of the bottles will vary accordingly.

Dom Pérignon 2002
Dom Pérignon 2002

That said, most critics agree that the best recent Dom Pérignon vintage was 2002 and so we will focus on it. Even though it is a relatively rare Champagne, you may still find it for sale on wine-searcher.com for an average of $200. James Suckling gave it 97 points; Decanter and Wine Spectator, 96.

Moët & Chandon owns virtually all the vineyards from which Dom Pérignon is sourced – as many as 300 different vineyards, from outside Reims to the Marne Valley. They have access to all the 17 Grands Crus vineyards in Champagne, specially Aÿ, Bouzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, as well as Hautvillers.

The selection of the grapes is rigorous, and the pickers wait for greater ripeness: thus, the Chef de Cave, Richard Geoffroy, may give more emphasis to pH (and acidity) than to sugars.

While a Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial ages on its lees for three years, a Dom Pérignon stays sur lie at least seven years, with a proportionally bigger depth of aromas. The blend includes slightly more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir, and a Dom Pérignon demands long aging to show its best, sometimes unfolding in complexity over decades. (Robert Parker considers the 2002 able to keep standing up to 2032!)

Subjectivity

But one thing is to review the intrinsic qualities of a garment or of an object, as we already did with the Burberry trench coat and the Montblanc pens; another is to review the merits of wine, an evaluation that depends on the taster’s nose, palate and personal preferences, as well as experience. The more you drink, the more you develop a mental databank from which to extract notes such as previous tastings of that wine, who were you with, what did you eat with the wine, etc.

Dom Pérignon statue at Moët & Chandon
Dom Pérignon statue at Moët & Chandon

One thing we can tell you for sure is that a Dom Pérignon will not give you a tasting experience that will be five times better than the tasting of the Brut Impérial! It will surely be a different experience, and, to be honest, if you are not used to vintage Champagnes, in a blind tasting you may vote immediately for the non-vintage due to its vibrant, zesty nature. It is OK, for our preferences evolve as we gain mileage (or shall we say litrage) in the wine world.

We would recommend you to spend the extra bucks if (1) you are willing to enter the world of vintage Champagne, which many consider to include some of the best wines; (2) you want to celebrate a personal achievement or landmark with a great bubbly.

We would tell you not to spend on the Dom Pérignon if (1) it is only to impress someone (not a commendable attitude for a gentleman); (2) you have not tasted less expensive, but good, Champagnes before. If you don’t have the benchmark of these wines to compare a new wine with, you will not be able to develop your tasting abilities and enjoy the best wines. These come only with time and a hands-on (or better, a lips-on) attitude.

Conclusion

Whatever Champagne you ultimately choose, let’s make a toast to a great New Year to all!

Outfit Rundown

An outfit that Raphael wear for a party in his home around Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.
An outfit that Raphael wears for a party in his home around Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.
Eagle Claw Cufflinks with Malachite Balls - 925 Sterling Silver Platinum Plated - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Eagle Claw Cufflinks with Malachite Balls – 925 Sterling Silver Platinum Plated

Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Charcoal and Light Gray Fil d'Ecosse Cotton

Fort Belvedere

Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Charcoal and Light Gray Fil d'Ecosse Cotton

Black Bow Tie in Silk Velvet Sized Self-Tie Butterfly - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Black Bow Tie in Silk Velvet Sized Self-Tie Butterfly

My outfit consists of a burgundy velvet dinner jacket that I had custom-made. It is double-breasted with a shawl collar, four buttons but it only buttons on the bottom level that shows more of my chest. I opted for a reflective mother-of-pearl button because it is nice in the evening and I added cuffs to the jacket sleeves. For my shirt, I chose a regular dress shirt because overall, it is a more casual black-tie outfit. I could have also worn a proper black-tie shirt with shirt studs. Of course, I’m still wearing French cuffs with cufflinks with malachite green stones because it’s very much in line with Christmas-themed. In the same vein, I combined it with a silver and malachite pinky ring because it picks up the green and red tones in the outfit.

My bow tie is likewise velvet but it is special because it’s a single-end velvet self-tie bow tie. As you can see it stands up by itself and it’s just slightly more elegant than a regular velvet bow tie. In my chest pocket, I’m wearing a white linen pocket square and a boutonniere which is white and small and works with a width of the lapel.

My slacks are black tuxedo pants with a sight Gallon in silk satin pairing them with over-the-calf charcoal and gray socks for a more relaxed look than let’s say, a black silk sock. No matter what you choose, you can find all of them in our shop. Because I am at home, I am wearing green velvet slippers that again go with the green of my cufflinks and the burgundy tone of my dinner jacket. As you know that my dinner jacket doesn’t have any vents which is a style typical for evening wear because it’s more elegant.

You can find the cufflinks, bow tie, and other accessories in my outfit at the Fort Belvedere Shop.

Reader Comments

  1. Have had DP often and always enjoyed it. However, its reputation has driven a price that exceeds its quality. Many champagnes such as vintage Veuve Cliquot offer a more classic, and better champagne taste for much less cost. All tastes are subjective, of course. Having consumed my share of champagne, I cannot justify spending $150+ for DP. The best way to learn is to sample a wide range of vintage and NV champagnes and find what you like best. It’ll be a great education. Enjoy.

  2. Short answer — no!

    If you want to spend a fortune (of someone else’s money) on truely great Champagne — go for Krug vintage (not the NV). I have had it along with Dom, Deutz, etc.Unfortunately, they are all over rated and over priced these days.

    Here’s a bubbly secret — go for Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux Brut. It can not be called Champagne as it is from Limoux, not Champagne. However, it has 450 years of bubbly history and is this oldest sparking wine still being produced. Much older than Dom or any other Champagne.

    Another secret — its is all VINTAGE! And, is about $15.00 a bottle. We did a blind comparison with Veuve Clicquot NV (another overprice bubbly that is mass produced with a yellow label slapped on the bottle. Saint Hilarre blew it away.

    A great bubbly for special occasions and every day celebrations!
    Enjoy!

Comments are closed.