On the eve of launching the new 2006 vintage, Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy is at ease – even exited – about Champagne’s warming vintages for Dom Pérignon: ‘I feel like I am thriving on the warm years’. He is not shy to demonstrate a broader scope of vintage expressions being increasingly comfortable at extremes. ‘Vintage champagne should not be made as “super non-vintage” with consistency as the goal but with genuine stylistic span. In Richard Geoffroy’s time there have be increasing number of vintages produced, including the record-breaking five vintages in a row from 2002 to 2006. ‘I feel I might be taking more risks than my predecessors did. For instance there is no 1989 whereas I made 2003’.
When Geoffroy started as the Chef de Cave in 1990 there was average vintage awareness for Dom Pérignon. ’Today people notice, even anticipate vintage differences. I am glad when they do, even if the particular vintage would not be their favourite. Years must be take as they are. To me the major pitfall of champagne is repetition. Reinvention is the key, we are always pushing, pushing, pushing.’
Essi Avellan’s note for Dom Pérignon 2006:
The 2006 is a bold and ripe Dom Pérignon full of exuberant tropical fruit and vanilla notes, topped up with the hallmark fragrant, gunpowder and toast character. It has a broad, rich mid-palate and a truly dry, salient finish with a phenolic touch of a ripe year. The fruitiness is polished and bright and there is fine, balanced freshness to it. This vintage is built to last, it is still tight but packed with fleshy fruitiness. It is my preferred one of the recent ripe vintages 2006, 2005 & 2003. 94 points today with potential for 96 points.