It all began in the 17th century, in the Abbey of St Peter, Hautvillers – north-eastern France – with the intuition of Dom Pierre Pérignon. He was a Benedictine monk, who developed a revolutionary new method for making champagne. Today, Dom Pérignon is top of the range (it is owned by the LVMH – Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton – group), and has become a synonym for rare quality thanks to its special relationship with the power of time.

According to philosopher Heraclitus, time can be described as a river that flows. Similarly, Aristotle believed that time was an attribute of movement, which depends on change. Elsewhere, St Augustine, while investigating the mystery of time, introduced the categories of memory, experience and expectations –respectively “the time present of things past”, “the time present of things present” and “the time present of things future”.

Tapping into the fathers of philosophy, Dom Pérignon uses time as a tool to nourish and elevate the wine to a new level of expression. As chef de cave Vincent Chaperon explains, while he walks us through the house’s chalk cellars in Épernay, Dom Pérignon believes in an idea it calls “plénitude”, where the champagne develops through three phases of evolution to achieve an unrivalled vibrancy and roundness.

The first stage – Plénitude 1: Vintage – takes place between eight to 10 years from when the vintage, exclusively made of grapes harvested in the same year, was first released. The wine could then take up to 15 years to enter its second stage, Plénitude 2. Finally, after between 20 and 25 years it could potentially achieve its summit of fullness at the Plénitude 3 stage. Each vintage, however, follows its own rhythm, so some are released after reaching stages 1 or 2.

With a constant flux of energy moving around, there is life in each bottle of bubbles. During maturation, the yeast, with its pivotal action, adds texture, aroma and density to the wine, building what will result in a tactile feeling in the mouth. With its nourishing and protective function, during maturation yeast improves the energy and freshness of the blend. Combined with the action of time, the yeast adds a new depth to champagne, turning it into a multidimensional wine.

This September, after 18 years of maturation, Dom Pérignon finally reveals the 2004 vintage, which has achieved Plénitude 2.

‘That was a graceful year,’ says Chaperon. After a disastrous 2003, defined by extreme climate conditions, ‘2004 was the year of relief and renaissance. The terroir unleashed all its energy in a generous harvest generating a harmonious and peaceful wine.’ Notes of cocoa, mocha and roasted nuts add to citrusy notes in a vibrant yet soothing bouquet. Chaperon sees Dom Pérignon ‘as a project in process, where lack and frustration create tension and energy’.

It’s a matter of time. It has the power of nature. It lives in the memory. It lies in difference. Dom Pérignon is rewriting the definition of contemporary luxury with its philosophical message.

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