Dom Perignon Champagne Brut Vintage 2017 750mL

FRANCE : CHAMPAGNE

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

MED-BODIED, LEMON CONFIT, MARZIPAN, WHITE FLOWERS, CHALK, NO OAK

2017 was a punishing year in Champagne. A hot, dry summer gave way to heavy August rain and the rot that followed hit the Pinot Noir hardest, so picking started on 28 August, only the fourth August harvest in the region's history.

Dom Perignon declassified aggressively and bottled what chef de cave Vincent Chaperon calls the smallest blend in the house's history, roughly 15% of a normal harvest. What survived skews unusually toward Chardonnay at about 61%, which gives this release a taut, chalky spine under the riper fruit the warm summer produced.

Vinous 97 pts. James Suckling 96 pts. Wine Advocate 95+ pts. Serve at 10C in a white wine glass, not ice-cold in a flute.

PAIRINGS :