Archive for the ‘Behind The Scenes’ Category

A Tale of Two 76s

28 of Aug 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

Dom Pérignon cellar at Abbaye d'Hautvillers

This is the tale of two bottles of Dom Pérignon, from the exceptionally warm and dry vintage of 1976; born on the same day in the spring of 1977; and having spent the first seven years of their existence together in our cellars.

The first bottle was part of the original release of Vintage 1976 Dom Pérignon, disgorged in 1984. This bottle traveled from France to Sarajevo (Yugoslavia at the time) to start a new life, resting in the cellars of a famous restaurant. It managed to survive through the Bosnian war that tore the country apart… until a winemaker friend (who happens to be the only flying winemaker in Champagne!) recently acquired it on the premises–Sarajevo now being in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He brought it back home to Hautvillers, making it a really well-traveled bottle of wine!

The second bottle never left its birthplace, for a more peaceful life: instead of being disgorged after seven years, the wine kept maturing slowly and actively on the lees (of the yeast which made it sparkling in this very bottle), in the deep and cool wine library of Dom Pérignon. This extended period of undergoing a subtle and mysterious process of yeast maturation–we call it autolysis–gradually refined the aroma profile and the mouthfeel of the wine, all the while minimizing the action of oxidation (and thereby improving ageworthiness). I selected this bottle from our library for a one-off OEnothèque re-release five years ago: 1976 Dom Pérignon OEnothèque was hand disgorged (à la volée) in 2004. Dosage was really minimalist, actually the lowest ever in the history of Dom Pérignon.

Both bottles were eventually reunited (after so many years!) in the Abbaye of Hautvillers and we were fortunate enough to taste them next to each other. The original release Vintage had aged beautifully, showcasing powerful and opulent tertiary aromas, as could be expected from a 34-year-old wine. The more recently disgorged bottle stood out by its baffling freshness, intensity and complexity, putting the vintage under a new light. Both wines–the exact same blend from the same vintage–were outstanding in their own right. We could literally taste two different expressions of Dom Pérignon side by side; in my personal view the 1976 OEnothèque being truer to the spirit of Dom Pérignon with its magnified and incomparable precision, vibrancy and mouthfeel.

Two great wines, so close and so different, unmistakably Dom Pérignon.

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Véraison

19 of Aug 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

The véraison started slowly at the end of last week in the early sectors of Hautvillers and Aÿ. At this stage the light coloring of grapes points towards a slower fruit maturation than anticipated, all related to relatively low sunlight and water stress. I suspect we will benefit from several rain showers occurring this week as they should speed up the process. Sanitary conditions are overall very good, with no mildew or rot, however oidium unfortunately made its presence felt in some Chardonnay sites.

Véraison August 2010

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Of Wine Glasses

08 of Aug 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

The choice of wine glass is a rather hot topic for wine lovers, and understandably so. In a previous blog entry, I mentioned that I had selected the Riedel Vinum XL glass for our 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé Oenothèque, which lead to even more questions about which glass to use with each specific Dom Pérignon wine. Truth be told, and although it might come as a surprise, I wish I could ultimately use only one glass for Dom Pérignon, regardless of vintage or assemblage. Creating this glass would be the one challenge reflecting my ideal of simplicity and purity.

For the time being, though, I tend to use any glass which is ample enough to allow the wine to express itself, improving the mouthfeel, but not that large a glass that it would be detrimental to the whole experience by stretching the substance of the wine too thin. Such a glass will also provide enough space for the wine to breathe and develop, which is typically critical for all Dom Pérignon wines. I definitely prefer this approach to decanting. To be quite honest, I do not expect from a wine glass to magnify the sensation of how a wine tastes or feels–I am quite happy if a wine glass can instead simply do justice to the wine, participating with other factors (such as temperature) to as perfect an experience as possible.

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Flowering

25 of Jun 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

The flowering is in progress and going well for the time being. Some early terroirs have flowered last week (around June 16-18), for example the Chardonnays near Avize and Le Mesnil, whereas others are flowering as I’m writing, mostly the Pinot Noirs. In any case the rather cold weather in the region (especially in the mornings) didn’t affect the process. I would also like to point out the currently perfect sanitary conditions for the grapes, especially the fact that there’s not one hint of mildew in the vineyards—we are of course remaining vigilant. A picture is worth a thousand words: I am sure you will enjoy this gallery of pictures taken Wednesday morning!

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Bud break

30 of Apr 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

I was checking on the vineyards yesterday and was happy to see that the vines are budding quite vigorously. Actually there has barely been a spring this year: the winter has been long and cold, and the current weather reminds us more of summer than anything! The sudden growth of the vegetation is exceptional, and I think even unprecedented.

We had no frost so far this year and it looks like we shouldn’t fear that too much right now, but of course it is traditional to wait for the Saints de Glace before saying more (11-12-13 May, days renowned for the potential frost they bring). So let’s keep our fingers crossed! The buds look like green butterflies on the vines… the clusters are beginning to appear and the campaign of protection against mildew will have to start soon: a new cycle is under way.

Grand Cru Sillery, April 2010

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L’assemblage

25 of Apr 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

The assemblage of grapes and terroirs in a single vintage is the foundation of Dom Pérignon’s style, the path it has followed since the origins. Dom Pérignon is always an assemblage, a tradition I inherited from my predecessors (I am the fifth chef de cave at Dom Pérignon since the beginning of the 20th century). The Œnothèque, our wine library, is the physical link between the generations of chefs de cave, the tangible memory of the oral tradition of the assemblage.

The Champagne region produces a whole spectrum of wines, from the pure Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs to the black grape driven styles (ultimately Blanc de Noirs). Dom Pérignon stands right at the center of this universe with its quest for the perfect balance between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a yin and yang complementing and opposing each other to create tension and intensity nearly to the point of paradox. This leads to an elaborate and stimulating creative process that finds its resonance in the complexity, completeness and rhythm of the final wine. The addition of the third grape would bring a stability going against this ideal. Some vintages like 1973, 1988 and 2000 are fusional with this approach, whereas others such as 1969, 1980 or 1996 were by essence rather in contradiction with the spirit of Dom Pérignon, leading to a challenging assemblage eventually increasing tension and depth.

The assemblage magnifies the sum of the best terroirs in Champagne, in counterpoint to the fact that Dom Pérignon is always a vintage wine. Having access to all 17 Grands Crus vineyards in Champagne (and in particular the 8 core Grands Crus of Aÿ, Bouzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Le Mesnil) as well as the historical Premier Cru from Hautvillers is my privilege and creates a myriad of options. This is all the more daunting since we aim for at most two distinct assemblages per vintage: the White and the Rosé—I will come back to this specific topic in a future entry. I vividly remember the 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé as a perfect example of the necessity to devise an original assemblage depending on the vintage: we had to explore uncharted territories in this specific case, especially to address the oxidative character of the Pinot Noir. I have to add that the tradition of the assemblage has always taken precedence over winemaking techniques and their evolution: our principle of the assemblage can only reach its pinnacle through a spotless, transparent vinification process. The individual component wines have to be as vibrant and as expressive of the terroir as they can.

The creation of the signature style of Dom Pérignon is all driven by taste, and by that I mean the overall expression on the palate. Rather than following the same composition (or should I say, recipe?) year after year or relying on analyses, an intimate knowledge of Dom Pérignon is necessary to craft the perfect assemblage. Each vintage is a unique opportunity to reinvent ourselves and unveil the harmonious dialogue between the expression of nature and style. As a result, the final composition changes every vintage: at times a blend in perfectly equal proportions (e.g. 1990 Rosé), at times up to 60% Chardonnay (1982) or 60% Pinot Noir (1969), and only once going over 60% (with 65% Chardonnay in 1970). I give you these numbers to paradoxically show that our focus is not on them!

By the way, we create an assemblage in every vintage before making the final decision whether to declare the vintage or not. The assemblage of the 2009 wines has been completed recently (you might have noticed that the blog has slowed down a bit). I have therefore reached a conclusion on 2009, but I will let you guess which one!

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Riedel Pinot Noir Vinum XL

02 of Apr 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

Glasses are definitely a key part of wine tasting. Finding the right glass for each individual wine could well be the hobby of many wine geeks, still for me it is also crucial to provide the best possible experience to Dom Pérignon lovers. I have always had a friendly relationship with Georg Riedel, born of our mutual esteem. The Riedel family business, established in 1756 in Bohemia, is known worldwide for its high-quality crystal glasses: their Burgundy Grand Cru crystal glass, handmade and mouth-blown, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Last August I had the visit of Maximilian Riedel (Georg’s son, representing the 11th generation of the family in the glass business) who came to me with a large selection of stemware: our aim that day was to find the perfect glass for Dom Pérignon Rosé, a glass that would do justice to the wine by presenting it in the best conditions for appreciation. It would have been possible to create a specific glass for this Champagne, but I preferred to choose from the existing collection. At the time I also had the upcoming 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé Œnothèque in mind. I settled on the Pinot Noir Vinum XL, which is not so surprising given the assertive Pinot Noir character of Dom Pérignon Rosé. This fantastic glass really shows the wine in an uncompromising way, especially on the palate.

The first aspect that grabbed our attention was the intensity of the nose and how the wine could breathe in the glass. Second, I felt it put the fruit right at the center of the tasting experience without compromising the complexity of the aromas. Third, it rendered the right expression on the palate, especially the amplitude and texture, both of them fundamental qualities of Dom Pérignon. And incidentally, I could only appreciate the lyre shape of this glass that resonates with the Oriental theme of the Silk Road dinners!

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Hautvillers

22 of Mar 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

Hautvillers Abbey as seen by Michael KennaThe Abbey of Hautvillers is like a second home to me, inspiring as it is. This is where everything started: the story of Champagne and the story of Dom Pérignon that are so intimately related. Working there is meaningful: it is at the same time lighthearted and solemn, my vision is elevated by the magic of the place.

The Hautvillers Abbey is located on a literally divine setting: according to legend, around the year 650, a dove sent by God led Saint Nivard, who was walking in the hills, to the spot. As it flew around the forest, the story goes, the dove left behind flashes of light so pure and bright that they made the forest glow. After it finally came to rest on a beech tree, Saint Nivard, guided by the bird’s mysterious flight, in which he recognized God’s will, decided to found the Abbey of Hautvillers there. The Abbey is still imbued with its origins and remained a highly spiritual place until 1791. The church, today the town’s proprety, has miraculously escaped unscathed from the perils of history and the vandalism following the French Revolution. It is nearly in the state Dom Pérignon left it, restored and glorified under his impulse and leadership. At the foot of the altar, a slab of black marble covering Dom Pierre Pérignon’s remains bears the inscription of his name and the record, in latin, of his exemplary life.

Leaving the church through the porch, the private part of the Abbey can be found. I vividly remember the first time I set foot there and how moved I was. The majesty is only matched by the tranquility emanating from it. I may say that it still produces the same effect on me: I am ever awed by its amazing beauty. The site is surrounded by an amphitheater of vineyard-covered hills, with the heights of the Côte des Blancs on the other side and the Marne lazily wending its way through the valley below. The park, planted with trees hundreds of years old, is home to the “Clos Sacré” and its vines cultivated in a pre-phylloxeric manner. I like the idea that the serene, austere beauty of the scene and the view from this high point is still as moving as it was in Saint Nivard’s day. The cloister, with only one surviving side, is located in the center of the Abbey. On the first floor was the well-stocked library: a place of knowledge and study that Dom Pérignon visited regularly. Its contemplative and serene aura is best expressed through the caressing light bathing the place. This is now the exclusive location where Dom Pérignon tastings are conducted.

Obviously, the legacy of Hautvillers is of a spiritual nature—we chose to keep it free from the technical. I find inspiration there, wandering through the grounds, and reflecting on how to stay true to the single path Dom Perignon has been following since the origins…

[show picture list]

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The Silk Road

05 of Mar 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

The Silk Road, the Spice Route… These words evoke long journeys, exoticism, freedom, caravans following their own rules from India to Morocco—the perfect theme for a dinner setting the stage for the release of 2000 Dom Pérignon Rosé and the launch of 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé Œnothèque.

Let’s go behind the scenes to discover how this event came to life—I hope this will inspire you and make you look at Dom Pérignon from a new perspective.

Ever since the project in Kyoto I have kept elaborating on dinner experiences to highlight the many facets of each wine and to create as many sensations. Going far beyond conventional food-wine pairing, they create a mysterious and poetic atmosphere conducive to an ultimate goal of sensuality. Pascal Tingaud, the chef de cuisine at Dom Pérignon, has been contributing to the project for the past ten years. Pascal travels with me and prepares these dinners, whatever our destination. This sometimes leads to rather exciting situations involving a mix of great logistics and total improvisation!

As you can see below from the menu, I tried to stay as open-minded as possible. Formalism was kept to a strict minimum: I did not feel restricted to a vague “starter-main course-dessert” structure, nor to specific regions. Rather than unity of time or space, I aimed at embracing different cultures: the menu is based on unpretentious generous traditional dishes, selected to respond to the wine and to build a steady progression through the meal. Each wine has its own story to tell: my role was to listen, interpret the images and ambiances that it evoked and translate them into an exploration of the cooking treasures of the Orient.

The Mezze, served with 2000 Dom Pérignon Rosé, bring us from one end of the Silk Road to the other, with both classics (Baba Ghanoush) and rarities (Watermelon Curry from Rajasthan). Each dish has its own role to play, its own dialogue with the wine: carrots and ginger to amplify the fruit; a salad of beetroot, orange and cinnamon to shape a contrast of textures. The couscous, prepared with sea bass and rose petals and served with 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé Œnothèque, plays with the paradox of amplitude and precision. The Harira soup (a celebration of the end of Ramadan in North Africa) surprises with its caressing concentration and lightness. The sweet dishes, particularly the rose Turkish delight (loukhoum) ice cream, magnify the onctuosity and sensuality of the wine. A seamless conclusion to the journey? We simply have to accept the rule of the ancient caravans: no step is ever final, the journey is all that counts.

 

MEZZE

Sautéed herb salad with hot pepper and preserved lemon

Beet and orange salad
Sautéed carrots with mango and ginger
Baba Ghanoush
Chickpeas, lentils, tomato and fresh coriander

Watermelon Curry

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First Yaourth
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COUSCOUS

Couscous voilé à la rose

SOUPE

Essence d’Harira au carvi

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Second Yaourth with saffron threads
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DOUCEURS

Rose Turkish delight (loukhoum) ice cream
Cornes de Gazelle

 

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2009 progress report

16 of Feb 2010, filed under Behind The Scenes

I am writing this entry from my office, overlooking the vats where the wines of 2009 are maturing. My team and I obviously keep a close eye on them!

2009 has been an atypical year, which aroused unaccustomed (and almost imprudent!) enthusiasm in many of us before the harvest. The grapes were in extrordinary healthy condition up to the last day of picking and satisfactorily ripe—without quite reaching the level we had so hoped for, a phenomenon that will give me food for thought for years to come. I had a few doubts after the very first tastings, but the wines have settled and developed, and now show a good prospect of distinction.

The quest for the final blend is a work in progress that will reach its conclusion in March. I am dedicated to the creation of the perfect assemblage, and I plan to come back to the crucial issue of blending in more detail in a future blog entry. The first step is to create a mental representation of the wines (no fewer than 50 of them!) and also group them by their characteristics. This is exactly what we have been doing until now after tasting all the wines for the third time—at this stage we start to have enough hindsight for a fair assessment of the vintage. The assemblage, which is the foundation of Dom Pérignon’s singularity, should then emerge gradually and naturally from this approach (and yes, with an element of inspiration and talent as well…). Only then will we decide whether to declare the vintage…

The 2009 wines appear extremely fine and very different from those of 2008—the Champagne community can look forward to comparing the respective merits of the two vintages for many years to come: 2008, concentrated, intense, with an unashamed balance in acidity; 2009, just as well structured but more rounded, richer, fleshier, at this stage much more seductive.

On the whole perhaps slightly less homogeneous than in other years, the Chardonnays are full-bodied, remarkably well balanced; fat, energetic, with very persistent aromas—all these qualities being prominently displayed by the Chardonnays from Cramant. The Pinot Noirs offer strong presence and good structure. At their best (e.g. from Ay) they are the revelation of the year, powerful, with aromas of exotic fruit and spices; supple and rich with an exceptionally good finish.

2009 is an apt finish to a decade during which nature has been very generous to all the regions of France, and Champagne in particular. This vintage seems to have a high potential but I am afraid you will have to wait until 2018 to learn of our decision!

Photo: © Michel Jolyot for Dom Pérignon

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