DOM PERIGNON 2002
Dom Pérignon is a brand of Champagne owned by Moët & Chandon. The Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon is credited with its invention; according to legend, Dom Pierre Pérignon, during a pilgrimage to the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire discovered the method of vinification of sparkling wines from Limoux. He returned to his abbey of Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers and experimented with the method on the wines of the Champagne vineyards. He even taught his technique to the Benedictine scholar Thierry Ruinart who came to visit him in 1669. At the time, the bottles were corked with wooden pegs lined with tow soaked in oil. In search of a cleaner and more aesthetic process, Dom Pérignon is said to have had the idea of pouring beeswax into the necks of the bottles, thus ensuring a perfect airtight seal, but after a few weeks most of the bottles exploded, unable to withstand the pressure. Indeed, the sugar contained in the wax, falling into the bottle, caused a second fermentation, transforming the malic acid into more carbonic lactic acid. The Dom Pérignon brand was first registered by Eugène Mercier, founder of Mercier Champagne. He then sold the brand to the champagne house Moët & Chandon, which used the name Dom Pérignon for its prestige cuvée, first launched in 1937.
Each vintage of Dom Pérignon is unique, with grapes sourced only from the best vineyards in Champagne. Unlike most Champagne producers who harvest grapes early, the preference established under former cellar master Richard Geoffroy was to wait for the grapes to ripen slowly. The highly respected Geoffroy served as cellar master from 1990 until January 2019, when he handed over the reins to his assistant, Vincent Chaperon .
Grape variety(ies): Not communicated