Dom Pérignon - Vintage Brut Champagne 2017
Price: $275.00
| Producer | Dom Pérignon |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Varietal | Champagne Blend |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Sku | 604425 |
| Size | 750ml |
A qualitative parallel with 2002?
The 2017 growing season was defined by extremes, a year that tested both vineyard and vigneron at every turn. A mild start gave way to punishing spring frosts that slashed yields. A hot, dry summer that accelerated ripening and concentrated the remaining fruit. But the real challenge came later, as rain caused acetic rot which began to creep into the Pinot Noir, forcing uncompromising selection in the vineyard and at the sorting table. Chardonnay’s naturally thicker skins proved critical in navigating these pressures, reflected in the final blend at 61%, yet the Pinot Noir that survived was so intensely flavored that Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon has said the Chardonnay ultimately plays a balancing role vis a vie the Pinot Noir.
Tiny Production, Fantastic Quality, Golden Opportunity
With just 15% of a normal harvest, total production comes in at under one million bottles worldwide. There is maybe a three month supply bottled and then that's it. In the past, such a small vintage would not have been considered commercially viable but Vincent is dedicated to telling the story of every vintage no matter the size. In other words the scarcity reflects the challenges of the year, not the quality. What's emerged in 2017 is a wine of depth and structure, likened by some to a “mini-2002." This is an exceptional Champagne, and there may not be another opportunity to secure it. It is in-stock now in limited quantity.
Vinous Media: 97 Points
The 2017 Dom Pérignon is so impressive. A sort of mini-2002, the 2017 is a Champagne of textural richness and resonance above all else. Its creamy, voluptuous contours are so inviting. Production for the 2017 is tiny, about a three-month supply, so this wine will come and go pretty quickly. That represents a fairly dramatic shift in philosophy at Dom Pérignon. In the past, a wine like the 2017 would not have been commerically viable because of its small volume. Today, Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon prefers to bottle Dom Pérignon in every vintage, if possible, as a document of the year, even if that means some releases will be very small. The 2017 is a wild, exotic Dom Pérignon. I loved it.
James Suckling: 96 Points
Dense and layered with dried apples and pears as well as candied lemons, grilled lemons and lemon meringue. It's full-bodied, rich, tangy and flavorful. March 2026 release. Tiny production. Smallest ever for Dom Pérignon. A blend of 61% chardonnay and 39% pinot noir. Dosage 4.5 g/L. Drink now.
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
Of the two releases—the 2017 and the 2018—the 2017 Dom Pérignon is the deeper and more structurally endowed wine, unfurling from the glass with a complex bouquet of orange peel, dried apricot and burnt buttered toast, mingling with nuances of dried flowers, toasted hazelnut and cacao bean, all strongly singed with the house’s signature smoky reduction. On the palate, it is full-bodied and concentrated, with a rich core of fruit. Its darker, open-knit profile is animated by a pillowy mousse, vibrant acidity and attractively bitter, structuring phenolics that assert themselves on a long, resonant finish.
This is a superb achievement for a vintage that required uncompromising selection, as acetic rot began to intrude upon the Pinot Noir grapes despite otherwise favorable conditions until mid-August. The fact that it represents the smallest Dom Pérignon release by volume should not mislead readers into complacency; indeed, I would much sooner own several bottles of the 2017 than divide my allocation with the 2018. A blend of 61% Chardonnay and 39% Pinot Noir, it was disgorged in March 2024 with a dosage of five grams per liter and will offer considerable complexity and generosity out of the gates.
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