Dom Pérignon releases final vintage from longtime cellar master Geoffroy

Dom Pérignon has released its 2017 vintage, the final one overseen by longtime cellar master Richard Geoffroy before his retirement. The wine comes from a difficult growing season marked by spring frosts, extreme heat and heavy rains that caused widespread grape rot across Champagne. Geoffroy's team focused on the healthiest parcels of grapes and used rigorous sorting to produce the vintage, but the output is only 15 per cent of a normal Dom Pérignon release. The 2017 is a chardonnay-dominant blend, with the grape making up 62 per cent of the cuvée.

The wine offers aromas suggesting pastry crust, custard and lemon zest with hints of smoke and lime blossom, according to tasting notes. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with a texture built on flavours of dried apricot and orange, leading to a lingering finish with floral and salty notes. The 2017 vintage has 12.5 per cent alcohol by volume and 4.5 grams per litre of residual sugar. Geoffroy retired in 2019 after 28 years leading the cellars at the iconic Champagne house. His successor, Vincent Chaperon, took charge after a 13-year apprenticeship working alongside Geoffroy. Chaperon's first vintage, the 2018 Dom Pérignon, was launched in European markets in September.

The 2017 release is recommended this week alongside several other collectible wines ahead of the holiday season. It is available in Ontario at a listed price, for $329.95 in British Columbia, at various prices in Alberta and Saskatchewan, for $389.99 in Manitoba, $360 in Quebec, $344.99 in New Brunswick, $351.99 in Prince Edward Island and $396.90 in Newfoundland. Dom Pérignon, launched in 1936 with the 1921 vintage, produces only vintage-dated Champagnes. The house has embraced technological advances such as temperature-controlled fermentation while focusing on selecting the best parcels of chardonnay and pinot noir from vineyards controlled by its owner, Moët and Chandon. The quality of Dom Pérignon stems from the blend of base still wines that undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle. The aim is to produce a cuvée that is enjoyable upon release but can also be aged for up to 30 years for late-release versions known as Plénitude 2 and Plénitude 3. Most Champagne houses used the reduced 2017 harvest for their non-vintage blends. Novello Desserts reported in October on a selection of wines recommended for the holiday season, including reds with aging potential from Canada and Italy.

With files from The Globe and Mail