Dom Pérignon : Vintage Damien Hirst Limited Edition 2018

Characteristics and tasting notes for Dom Pérignon Vintage 2018 Damien Hirst Limited Edition

Tasting

Colour

The Vintage 2018 displays a pale yellow colour with golden highlights, a sign of the richness brought by the year's exceptional ripeness. A fine, persistent mousse enlivens the glass, adding a visual vibrancy that contrasts beautifully with the deep golden hue.

Nose

The nose stands out for its rich, deep clarity, evoking the juicy fruit of an orchard at the height of summer. Tropical notes of golden kiwi and mango mingle with greener touches reminiscent of summer salad greens, ivy and balsamic plants, creating an aromatic palette that is both generous and fresh.

Palate

The attack combines liveliness and richness, with a full-bodied, dense character that envelops and coats the entire palate. The wine's generous substance is carried by a subtle bitterness, leading to a finish marked by a delicate note of apricot.

Food and wine pairings

Thanks to its generosity and density, this Champagne pairs beautifully with noble fish or delicately prepared shellfish, as well as with white poultry served with light, fruity sauces. Its tropical notes and slight bitterness also make it an excellent match for subtly spiced cuisine, where the wine's richness finds a harmonious echo.

Serving and cellaring

Dom Pérignon Vintage 2018 is best served chilled, between 9 and 11°C, to preserve the balance between its aromatic richness and its vibrancy. Its generous structure and density on the palate suggest excellent potential for development in the bottle over the years.

Dom Pérignon Vintage 2018: a sun-drenched Champagne elevated by an artistic collaboration with Damien Hirst

The House

Dom Pérignon is a prestigious Champagne House, born in 1921 with the release of its first vintage, before the name was officially acquired by Moët & Chandon in 1937. Based in Champagne, around the village of Hautvillers, the House now belongs to the LVMH group, within its Moët Hennessy division. It stands out for its unique decision to produce only vintage Champagnes, each conceived as a true creation, and for its regular artistic collaborations, such as this limited edition designed by Damien Hirst.

The vineyard

The Vintage 2018 draws its grapes from eighteen Grand Cru villages in Champagne, complemented by plots in the village of Hautvillers, classified as Premier Cru. This plot selection, rooted in the chalky terroirs emblematic of the appellation, allows the House to craft a blend that expresses both the sun-drenched power of the year and the finesse characteristic of Champagne's finest terroirs.

A singular collaboration
Damien Hirst is one of the most avant-garde contemporary artists of his generation. A painter, sculptor, printmaker and curator, he is renowned for a boundless creativity that has left a profound mark on modern art. The Kaleidoscope Shield draws inspiration from one of his signature works to reimagine Dom Pérignon's iconic shield, giving rise to a truly one-of-a-kind limited edition.

The vintage

The 2018 vintage stands out for its ideal climatic trajectory: spring sunshine 25% above average, followed by summer heat that even surpassed the records of 2003. The water reserves built up in the soils over winter and spring paved the way for a gradual and beneficial water stress during the drier summer. This combination favoured generous yields and rapid ripening, leading to the fifth August harvest in the House's history, which began as early as 20 August, in exceptional sanitary conditions and with record ripeness for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Winemaking and ageing

The Vintage 2018 is the first vintage crafted entirely by Vincent Chaperon as Dom Pérignon's Cellar Master. The harvest was carried out with careful attention to the specific characteristics of each grape variety, seeking advanced ripeness for the Chardonnay and a more measured picking for the Pinot Noir in order to preserve its balance. The wine then underwent a long maturation, with nearly eight years of active ageing on the lees in the House's cellars.

Grape varieties

The Vintage 2018 blend combines the mineral precision of Chardonnay with the generous structure of Pinot Noir.