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VINCENT CHAPERON, NEW DOM PÉRIGNON CHEF DE CAVE
On January 1, 2019 Vincent Chaperon became the Dom Pérignon Chef de Cave. He succeeded Richard Geoffroy, with whom he has been working closely since 2005. This transmission is a compelling milestone in the history of Dom Pérignon, embodying a living heritage.
Throughout these past 13 years of intensive and close collaboration, Richard Geoffroy and Vincent Chaperon have nurtured continuous dialogue between their two approaches, as if they had been chosen through some predestined plan.
Vincent Chaperon took the responsibility for pursuing the Dom Pérignon quest. This entails three essential missions: take charge of the material legacy of existing vintages, embody the vision of Dom Pérignon and the intangible heritage passed on by Richard Geoffroy, and last but not least, carry on the commitment to vintages that defines the soul and raison d’être of Dom Pérignon, guiding it into the future.
BWW 2018 - Best Champagne of the World: Winner: Dom Perignon 2002, Champagne, France
“I remember the year 2002 for the golden light and Indian summer after the rain, which allowed the grapes to mature to an unexpected level. Vintage 2002 is giving and approachable, richly sophisticated, but with a multifarious character that is still difficult to comprehend in its entirety. When it was initially released, this Vintage left me curious about the heights it could reach. And at times I believe its expression may be the closest to the Dom Pérignon aesthetic ideal,” said Richard Geoffroy, Dom Pérignon Chef de Cave. “We are incredibly grateful and humbled that Dom Pérignon Vintage 2002 has been named the Best Champagne of the World by consumers and professionals, because this recognition honors the essence of Dom Pérignon’s creative ambition.”
Dom Perignon The 2015 harvest
Heat. Drought. As you are surely aware, those are the keywords for 2015 so far. The heat was so intense at times that 2015 has already been labelled the warmest year in a decade, and possibly the year with the highest average temperatures since we began recording them. However the heat itself was eclipsed by a drought that was comparable to 1976’s, and which intensified after the flowering. The drought was actually so extreme in June and July, windy months that barely saw any rainfall, that the humidity levels in the soils were even lower than in 1976.
These two factors influenced each vineyard in a different way, depending on their terroir, soil, and vigor, combining to create a specific level of resistance. As a consequence, we expect widely different picking times based on these characteristics and the reaction of each vineyard to the rainfalls of late August.
The positive side is clearly that the sanitary conditions are excellent and that they put no pressure on the harvest schedule. We are therefore at a liberty to pick exactly when we see fit. Right now we observe that the alcohol potential is somewhat high relative to the aromatic and phenolic maturity. Our aim is to wait until all indicators are more in line with each other.
We started picking last week. Most of our efforts are focused on developing the perfect planning which will account for the vast heterogeneity in maturities that we currently witness, and allow us to harvest each vineyard at precisely the right time.