Release: Dom Perignon Vintage 2015

Dom Pérignon stands as a symbol of prestige, not only in Champagne but across the entire world of fine wine. With over a century of excellence, this legendary Grandes Marques producer sets the standard for vintage Champagne. Every release is a testament to their mastery, consistently offering some of the most age-worthy wines of its vintage.
 
Dom Pérignon's newly released 2015 vintage showcases the evolution of Champagne in the face of significant challenges. Vincent Chaperon, Chef de Cave, highlights the year’s defining warmth, abundant sunshine, and notably the longest drought Champagne has experienced in modern history. Despite these conditions, Dom Pérignon leveraged its access to 900 hectares of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards, selecting the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The result is a wine marked by density, concentration, and authority.

Chaperon compares it to vintages like 1995 and 2003, emphasizing its potential to evolve beautifully over time. Aromatically complex, it moves from floral to autumnal notes of cinnamon, cocoa, and chalk. Though powerful and structured, the wine is surprisingly approachable, offering rich fruit-driven flavours. Its early accessibility suggests that it will evolve with even more aromatic depth in the near future.

The 2015 Dom Pérignon is a triumph from a warmer growing season, leading to a broader, more generous expression of Dom Pérignon. Coming in at €199 inc VAT per bottle, and with impressive scores of 96 from Vinous and 95 from the Wine Advocate, this wine presents an excellent opportunity to secure a top-tier vintage that promises both immediate enjoyment and long-term potential for collectors.

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The 2015 Champagne vintage:

The 2015 Champagne vintage stands out for its challenging climatic conditions, marked by notable hydric stress due to reduced rainfall. This stress typically hampers vine development and affects grape quality, potentially leading to raw and vegetal characteristics in the wines. Despite these difficulties, the vintage yielded exceptional results, thanks to meticulous vineyard management and adept winemaking. Leading houses, including Dom Pérignon, navigated these challenges successfully by carefully selecting prime vineyard parcels. This ensured that the resulting Champagnes, while influenced by the year’s climatic extremes, displayed remarkable balance, depth, and a refined expression of the vintage’s unique character.

 

Historical Context and Production

Dom Pérignon, established in 1921, has long been celebrated for its meticulous attention to detail and pursuit of perfection. The house’s philosophy revolves around the idea of blending to create a balanced and harmonious Champagne, with each vintage reflecting the unique character of that particular year. The 2015 vintage, in particular, is noteworthy for its exceptional conditions, which allowed for a nuanced expression of the house’s renowned style.

According to Decanter, the 2015 growing season was characterised by a warm and dry summer, which provided optimal ripening conditions for the grapes. This vintage benefited from a rare combination of heat and consistent weather, leading to an exceptional quality of fruit. The harvest began early, which allowed the team at Dom Pérignon to select the best grapes for their cuvée.

What the wine critics say about Dom Perignon 2015:

The Wine Advocate - 95 Points, Yohan Castaing

"the 2015 Dom Pérignon shows a singular, ethereal profile with aromas of white pepper, iodine, ripe orchard fruits, toast, smoke, herbs and spices." 

"This iteration of Dom Pérignon, though replete with the customary charm and vinous generosity that typify the label, distinguishes itself by its structural delicate austerity and a notably phenolic profile, giving rise to a remarkably linear and well-defined style that diverges markedly from the more familiar expressions of Dom Pérignon."

 

Vinous - 96 Points, Antonio Galloni

"The 2015 Dom Pérignon is terrific. Bright and poised, the 2015 shows terrific energy. Citrus peel, white flowers, mint, white pepper and slate all race across the palate."

"There's gorgeous tension and backbone here, with bright saline notes that extend the mid-palate and finish. This is a fine showing in a vintage that has proven to be tricky."

 

Wine Advocate - 95 Points, Yohan Castaing

"2015 is unusually giving and luscious at this early stage, full of apricot pastry, bittersweet orange citrus and bitter almond, brightened by some pithy herbal characters that signal the year’s singular growing season yet also leaning deliciously into toasted bread, honey-nut and a little umami savour from lees ageing."

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Dom Perignon 2015:

 

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96 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Dom Pérignon is terrific. Bright and poised, the 2015 shows terrific energy. Citrus peel, white flowers, mint, white pepper and slate all race across the palate. There's gorgeous tension and backbone here, with bright saline notes that extend the mid-palate and finish. This is a fine showing in a vintage that has proven to be tricky. I am intrigued to see how the 2015 develops in the coming years.

 

95 Points | Wine Advocate, Yohan Castaing
Disgorged in January 2023, the 2015 Dom Pérignon shows a singular, ethereal profile with aromas of white pepper, iodine, ripe orchard fruits, toast, smoke, herbs and spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered, and structured, it’s enveloping and round with a delicate phenolic mid-palate that underlines chalky dry extracts, concluding with a sapid, penetrating finish with gastronomic bitterness. This iteration of Dom Pérignon, though replete with the customary charm and vinous generosity that typify the label, distinguishes itself by its structural delicate austerity and a notably phenolic profile, giving rise to a remarkably linear and well-defined style that diverges markedly from the more familiar expressions of Dom Pérignon. This is a blend of 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Chardonnay with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter; it will age wonderfully and can be enjoyed now or over the next 20 years.

 

See all available wines and vintages of Dom Perignon.