Dom Pérignon, 2003
Chef de Caves, Richard Geoffroy describes 2003 as a ‘really challenging vintage to create’. Deep frosts on the 7th and 11th of April destroyed as much as three quarters of the Chardonnay crop in the Côte des Blancs, hence the greater proportion of Pinot Noir in the blend, 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Record temperatures followed in July and August, which threatened to scorch the grapes. However, the harvest, which at the time was the earliest on record, was glorious and yielded a crop of great interest. Geoffroy sums the wine up as a paradox of ‘austerity and generosity’; the perfect combination for a great vintage Champagne.
critic reviews
The 2003 Dom Pérignon is in a gorgeous place right now. To be sure, it is a powerful Champagne that reflects the personality of a year marked by frost, that took out 70% of the Chardonnay, and then record heat and drought over the summer. The 2003 is just starting to head into its first plateau of maturity. Brioche, baked apple tart, lemon confit and marzipan build into the rich, layered finish. (Originally published in May 2021)