2008 Vintage. Release Date – 08 January 2019. Introduction: The story of Dom Pérignon is a story of constant reinvention and each Vintage is a new beginning. Dom Pérignon vintages set their own release dates, and Vintage 2008 required more patience than Dom Pérignon Vintage 2009, which was presented earlier -an unprecedented event in Dom Pérignon’shistory. Here, once again, is evidence of the disconcerting symmetry between the late revelation of the fruit and that of the wine, as with Dom Pérignon Vintage 2006. There was a long wait for a reciprocity between the vintage and Dom Pérignon, with each nurturing the other. Dom Pérignon Vintage 2008 is at last in its First Plenitude, the foundation of its future Plenitudes, each one just as eagerly awaited. Richard Geoffroy said “Dom Pérignon liberates the 2008 vintage, freeing it from an over-literal interpretation of the canons of Champagne.” Tasting Notes: The opening bouquet is complex and luminous, a mingling of white flowers, citrus and stone fruit. The overall effect is enhanced by the freshness of aniseed and crushed mint. The final aromas offered by the wine are starting to show spicy, woody and roasted notes. After a long period of reluctance, this wine is finally opening up. There is complete balance between the nose and palate. Its slender, minimalist, pure, toned, athletic character now also expresses itself with warmth. The fruit is pronounced and clear. The vintage’s characteristic acidity is incredibly well-integrated in this wine. Its persistence is mainly aromatic, grey, smoky and highly promising. Vintage 2008: Dull, grey skies were common during 2008, despite it being a year in a decade with plentiful and impressive amounts of sunshine. Spring and summer brought the same lack of sunlight and the same longing for high temperatures. Fortunately, September saved the vintage, late in the day and with miraculous success. Just when the harvest was getting underway (15 September), weather conditions finally achieved perfection: blue skies and prolonged north-north-easterly winds. Picking was spread out over a long period in order to benefit from this positive turn of events. The grapes were riper than anyone dared hope, and had truly outstanding balance. The vines were in perfect health. Reviews: “The 2008 Dom Pérignon is fabulous….What I admire most about the 2008 is the way it shows all the focus, translucence and energy that is such a signature of the year, and yet it is also remarkably deep and vertical. In other words, the 2008 is a Champagne that plays in three dimensions.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous “….I have no hesitation in claiming that 2008 is the greatest Dom Pérignon vintage ever produced.” Tom Stevenson Background Information: When Father Pierre Perignon took over as cellar master at the Benedictine Abbey of Hautvillers in 1668, his avowed goal was “to make the best wine in the world”. For a young monk just 30 years old, it took a visionary spirit and exceptional audacity to pursue such lofty ambitions. An exact contemporary of Louis XIV, Dom Perignon transformed the history of wine, just as the Sun King revolutionized the very notion of “art de vivre”. Wine was the medium for their meeting, as the excellence of “Father Perignon’s wine” earned it a place at the king’s table. More than three centuries later, the House of Dom Perignon perpetuates the visionary approach of its founder, widely considered the spiritual father of Champagne. Released only as a vintage, Dom Perignon is cellar aged for at least seven years prior to release. This time is critical for harmonising the flavours and ensuring that the wine’s balance remains elegant, sensual and ethereal. Dom Perignon can also be enjoyed many years later with rare OEnotheque vintages, released by the Chef de Cave at times when the intensity and complexity of the wine has reached optimum levels. Each new vintage is a unique creative act, reinventing the extraordinary style of a wine that only the Chef de Cave may declare a “vintage year”. “The grapes are never the same from one year to the next. If a harvest does not meet Dom Perignon’s unyielding standards, there will be no vintage champagne that year. This isn’t a value judgment – it’s an aesthetic vision” says Dom Perignon Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy. The unique personality of Dom Perignon is born of this creative commitment. It is this tension between the distinctive qualities of a year and the timeless spirit that defines Dom Perignon, an unparalleled sensation that imparts weightlessness, airy richness and suppleness from first impression to the long-lasting finish. Dom Perignon: the best wine in the world.