If you were hoping to taste the 2023 vintage from the renowned champagne house, we have bad news. Dom Pérignon, known for its exclusive vintage champagne, has decided not to release any champagne from the 2023 harvest. After months of cultivation, harvesting, and fermentation, winemaker Vincent Chaperon determined that this year’s harvest did not meet their high standards.
Exclusive Champagne
Unlike other champagne houses that blend wines from different years, Dom Pérignon only releases vintage champagne. This means each bottle is made from grapes harvested in a specific year. If the quality is not high enough, they release no champagne at all.
In 2023, the weather conditions were challenging, with extreme heat and humidity causing diseases and reducing grape ripeness. This information was reported by Robb Report.
The Decision to Cancel
Despite the difficult conditions, Chaperon and his team hoped until the last moment that the champagne would meet their standards. They conducted tests using the best grapes, but when the results fell short of Dom Pérignon’s high expectations, they decided not to release the 2023 vintage.
This is not the first time Dom Pérignon has skipped a vintage; it has happened three times before in the 2000s.
Art Exhibition to Commemorate
To mark the tough decision and honor the work that was done, Dom Pérignon created an art exhibition in Barcelona. The exhibition, titled “Trace: Pré-Assemblages 2023,” documented the creative and physical steps involved in crafting a champagne that will never reach the market. The exhibition opened in conjunction with the release of previous vintages.
Economic Impact
Choosing not to release a vintage comes with significant economic losses, as Dom Pérignon produces over a million bottles annually, with each bottle priced at a minimum of $295.
Despite the financial impact, Dom Pérignon has chosen to prioritize quality over quantity. Chaperon appears more as an artist than a businessman in his decision to cancel the 2023 vintage.
