Dom Perignon Champagne: 10 Best Vintages, Investment Potential

The fabled Dom Perignon!

Dom Perignon is more than just a bottle of champagne — it's a symbol of indulgence, richness, and luxury. 

From the moment you lay eyes on the unique label and the distinctive bottle shape, based on a 17th-century design, you know that you're in for a special experience. 

This renowned champagne has become a cultural icon and a favorite among wine collectors and critics. It’s even perfect for corporate gifting!

What are the prices of the vintages? And, is it worth investing in a Dom Perignon?

Let’s explore everything about this celebrated vintage Champagne - from its history, unique winemaking processes, retail and auction prices to the best Dom Perignon bottles to buy in 2023. 

You’ll also discover the easiest way to buy, store and sell Dom Perignon Champagne!

What Is Dom Perignon?

Dom Perignon is a French Champagne produced by Moet & Chandon, a winemaker and co-owner of the luxury goods company Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton or LVMH. 

LVMH also owns the Mercier, Krug, Ruinart, and Veuve Clicquot Champagne houses.It’s named after Dom Pierre Pérignon, a 17th-century Benedictine monk who made important contributions to Champagne wine production even when the region's produce was mainly red wine.

Now, let’s look at all aspects of why you should invest in this wine.

Dom Perignon Champagne Prices and Investment Potential

Wine collectors across the globe anxiously await the release of any new Dom Perignon vintage. As for its aging potential, this prestigious Champagne can age beautifully for 20+ years. 

This symbol of luxury consistently gets high scores from wine critics. The 2008 Dom Perignon  vintage - the final release by winemaker Richard Geoffroy as Chef de Cave scored 95+ from Robert Parker and Wine Spectator, and was called the “finest release since the 1996 vintage.”

This unwavering image of luxury makes vintage Dom Perignon Champagne one of the most investment-worthy wines — even with its high production quantities, unlike other Champagnes.

Let’s look at the prices of some of its vintages.

Dom Perignon Vintage Wine Price List 

A standard vintage starts above $250, with the Dom Perignon Brut champagne priced over $290, the Dom Pérignon Rosé priced above $460, and a P3 Plenitude Brut Rose priced over $5600.

Dom Perignon Price List (Some of the Best Dom Perignon Vintages)

Price Appreciation Over Time

Between November 2021 and April 2023, the price of the 1993 Dom Perignon P2 Plenitude Brut appreciated by an astounding 1,308% — from $346 to $4,870. Meanwhile, the value of the 2010 Dom Perignon Brut has risen by over 49% from $188 in October 2021 to $281 in August 2023.

As an investment, it is a recession-proof one. For example, when the stock market crumbled in 2008 and 2009, the average price of a Dom Perignon dipped only by 0.6%.

Dom Perignon At Auctions

The performance of “DP” at auctions has been nothing short of stellar.

• In 1971, the Shah of Iran ordered several bottles of the 1959 Dom Pérignon Rosé for the 2,500th-year celebration of the Persian Empire. One of those bottles was sold at auction for over $38,000 in 2008.
• In 2004 when three bottles of the 1921 DP vintage wine from the private cellar of Doris Duke were sold for over $24,000.
• In 2010, a record was set in the UK when a 6 liter Methuselah 1996 Dom Perignon Champagne Rose Gold was sold for $52,500.
• In 2020, a 30-bottle lot of Dom Pérignon Oenothèque Rosé was sold for $170,000+ - setting a world auction record for a single lot of vintage Champagne.

10 Best Dom Perignon Vintages to Buy in 2023

Take a look at the best Dom Perignon vintages that deserve a place in your collection:

1. ​1993 Dom Perignon P2 Plenitude Brut
2. 1995 Dom Perignon White Gold Brut
3. 2002 Dom Perignon Reserve de L'Abbaye 
4. 1996 Dom Perignon Coffret Irodori 
5. 1971 Dom Perignon Oenotheque Brut Millesime
6. 1961 Dom Perignon Wedding
7. 2002 Dom Perignon Andy Warhol Tribute Collection 
8. 1990 Dom Perignon Brut
9. Dom Perignon Wild Panther Brut Rose
10. Dom Perignon Rose Creator Edition Jeff Koon

1. ​​1993 Dom Perignon P2 Plenitude Brut ($3,247)

This 1993 champagne wine has lemon, dried herbs, pear, and candied grapefruit notes on the nose. The palate is rich in flavors of cooked biscuits, praline, raisin, and cinnamon spice notes. 

2. 1995 Dom Perignon White Gold Brut ($3,425)

A rich and powerful sparkling wine, the 1995 Dom Perignon White Gold Brut has a layered flavor of praline, nougat and fruit balanced by zesty acidity.

3. 2002 Dom Perignon Reserve de L'Abbaye ($1,290)

Notes of honey, mushroom, cheese, and orange blossom engulf the nose. The palate is concentrated with creamy mousse and apple flavors, followed by a delicious finish. 

4. 1996 Dom Perignon Coffret Irodori ($1,510) 

This limited-edition Dom Pérignon vintage will seduce you with its aromatic bouquet and layered concentrated flavor of lime blossom.

5. 1971 Dom Perignon Oenotheque Brut Millesime ($4,348)

The 1971 Oenotheque vintage has fruit and floral aroma notes. The palate has a delicious freshness layered with honey and brioche flavors.

6. 1961 Dom Perignon Wedding ($9,640)

The 1961 Dom Perignon Wedding sparkling wine was first served at Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles’ royal wedding.

The nose opens toasted brioche, coffee, and peach aromas with subtle hints of macaroons. The palate has freshness, intensity, and a concentrated flavor of peach fruit.

7. 2002 Dom Perignon Andy Warhol Tribute Collection ($673)

The nose of this Andy Warhol vintage Champagne boasts hints of lemon, perfumed jasmine, dried apricot, and tangerine. On the palate, the citrus fruit flavor perfectly complements the wine's richness and complexity.

8. 1990 Dom Perignon Brut ($641)

The Dom Perignon Brut champagne has floral aromas, along with toasted brioche, almonds,  and apricot flavors. This range even comes in a beautiful gift box, making it ideal for corporate gifts.

9. Dom Perignon Wild Panther Brut Rose ($715)

This flashy Dom Perignon Rose has Pinot undertones with a Chambolle-like nose. It boasts intense richness with notes of flowers, red berries and spice, accentuated by an expansive finish. 

10. Dom Perignon Rose Creator Edition Jeff Koon ($597)

This mesmerising Dom Perignon Rose Creator Edition Jeff Koons is one of the most popular Champagnes with a complex bouquet of strawberry and fig. The full-bodied bubbly also has a refined palate of red fruit, guava, and vanilla, followed by a lengthy finish.

Dom Perignon Serving Tips

Ideally, this prestige cuvée should be served at 10oC in a Champagne glass (flute, tulip, or coupes) to highlight its aromas and retain the effervescence.

Dom Perignon’s complex flavors are best paired with spicy and smoked dishes like a mild curry, foie gras, and Asian dishes.

You can serve Dom Perignon with other alcoholic beverages, such as liquor and distilled spirits. For instance, try a cocktail like the Disco Inferno — mix equal parts of vodka and cognac distilled spirits, and then top it off with Dom Perignon.

Why Is Dom Perignon So Special? (The Dom Perignon Manifesto)

The Moët & Chandon Champagne house follows several principles that guide the winemaking process strictly.

A. Vintages

Each bottle of Dom Perignon contains grapes that are harvested in a single year. You won’t find a non-vintage Dom Perignon Champagne ever. 

The Champagne house never declares a vintage in weak years. Only 46 white wine vintages have been released between 1921 and 2013.

Dom Perignon also releases its own cellared, matured bottles in three phases of aging under the name Plénitude.

The first release, “P1,” is aged nine years, the second “P2” would be 20 years, and the third batch, “P3,” is 30-40 years. 

B. Composition 

Dom Perignon is always a blend of the Chardonnay grapes and Pinot Noir grape varieties with slightly different compositions in each vintage. 

Typically, it's 50% Chardonnay grapes and 50% Pinot Noir red grapes, although it's 60:40 and 40:60 in some vintages, depending on the vintage needs.

Unlike other Champagne makers, Dom Pérignon does not use any Pinot Meunier in the wines.

C. Dom Perignon Winemaking 

Here’s how a fine Dom Perignon bottle comes into being: 

• The best grapes are hand-picked from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims sub-regions (Grand Cru vineyards) of the Champagne region and the Premier Cru vineyard sites of Hautvillers. 

The vines aren’t allowed to grow above 3 feet, and vine pruning occurs only in the morning.

• The first fermentation and malolactic fermentationis done in stainless steel tanks using house-made yeast.
• Every bottle is aged for at least seven years before being released into the market. 

But the best part about Dom Perignon Champagne wine is its availability. It is produced in large quantities, rumored to be up to 5 million bottles a year.

6 More Interesting Facts About Dom Perignon Champagne

There’s much more to this spectacular wine:

1. Dom Pierre Perignon Didn’t Create the Champagne Method ('Methode Champenoise')

The fact that adding sugar could initiate a second fermentation was discovered by an English scientist Christopher Merrett, 30 years earlier. 

But, the Benedictine monk did do some things differently besides blending grapes in ways that improved wine quality.

• He perfected the art of producing a clear white wine from black grapes. 
• He enhanced the tendency of Champagne to retain sugar to induce secondary fermentation during springtime. 
• He was adept at deciding when to bottle the wines to capture the bubble. 
• He introduced corks (instead of wood) fastened to bottles with hemp string soaked in oil to keep the wines fresh and sparkling. 
• He used thicker glass to prevent the bottles from exploding.

Interestingly, sparkling wine emerged as the main wine production style in the Champagne region over the 19th century - more than 100 years after the monk’s death.

2. It Has A Rose Version Too

A rose version of this prestige Cuvée (from Pinot Noir) has also been produced since 1959. 

These rose vintages are more expensive than the standard Dom Perignon. 

3. It Was the Champagne of Choice at a Royal Wedding

In 1981, magnums of Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne 1961 were served at the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles. 

4. The "Oenothèque" Release of Moët & Chandon

Until the 1943 Dom Pérignon vintage, it was made from regular Moët & Chandon vintage Champagne, which was transferred to 18th century-style bottles after prolonged cellaring. 

So, it was an "oenothèque" bottling release of Moët & Chandon Vintage Champagne in a different bottle. (The word Oenothèque refers to a place to store wine.)

However, Dom Pérignon has been produced separately from the 1947 vintage.

5. It is Popular in Pop Culture

Dom Pérignon has been referenced in pop culture many times. These include:

• Songs by R&B, hip-hop, and rap artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, 50 Cent, Blue, Drake, Future, Nas, and Notorious B.I.G.

• The iconic sparkling wine has also made appearances in two James Bond films: 

  • "Dr. No": The British agent references the 1953 vintage of Dom Pérignon and even uses a bottle of the 1955 vintage as a weapon.
  • "Goldfinger": Bond and Jill Masterson order and drink a bottle of Dom Pérignon '53, and Bond cautions against drinking it above 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Dom Perignon has also appeared in Ian Fleming's novel "Moonraker." James Bond drinks two bottles of Dom Pérignon 1946, recommended by the wine waiter at Blades during his dinner with M.

6. Dom Pérignon’s Collaboration with Lady Gaga Exudes Incredible Artistry

Dom Pérignon and Lady Gaga's second collaboration celebrated the release of the Champagne house's 2013 vintage after 10 years of maturation. 

The campaign highlighted the parallels between winemaking and performance, featuring Lady Gaga at her piano and a troop of dancers in the background. 

The campaign and artistic performance showcased remarkable artistry. It reflected the shared vision and creativity between Dom Pérignon and Lady Gaga.

3 FAQs About the Prestigious Dom Perignon Champagne

Find out a little bit more about this incredible champagne:

1. Is Dom Perignon Its Own Brand?

The name Dom Pérignon actually refers to a specific cuvée or bottling of champagne rather than the name of the brand itself. It is the prestigious champagne produced by the Moët & Chandon champagne brand.

2. Is Dom Perignon a Grand Cru Champagne? 

Dom Perignon is made from the grapes of Premier Cru vineyard sites (from the Abbey of Hautvillers) and Grand Cru vineyards, so it isn't a Grand Cru Champagne.

However, it is more prestigious than most other Grand Cru wines.

3. Why Is Dom Perignon so Expensive?

Dom Perignon owes its hefty price tag to two factors:

• The champagne is produced only during years when the growing conditions are optimal and yield the best grapes. Since Dom Perignon is always vintage and not grown in weaker years, there is high demand for the released bottles, which increases the price.
• The winemaker ages Dom Perignon for at least eight years and the prestigious vintage labels (Plentitudes) for 10, 15, 20, and even 40 years before release. The significant aging period contributes to the high price.

A Brief History of Dom Perignon Champagne

The Benedictine monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon, was the cellar master at a monastery in the Abbey of Hautvillers in the Champagne region in Northern France. 

He pioneered many winemaking techniques in the 1670s, like blending grape varieties and striking a balance between elements to improve wine quality, laying the foundation of Champagne in this Benedictine Abbey. 

The first vintage was 1921, but it was released for sale only in 1936.

300 bottles of this wine were sent as gifts for the centenary celebration of Moet and Chandon. This turned out to be a great hit, and more bottles were ordered to the US.

Moët & Chandon bought the brand in 1937.

Cellar master Richard Geoffroy was the “Chef de Cave“ at Dom Pérignon for 28 years since 1990. In 2019, he passed on the Chef de Cave baton to Vincent Chaperon, the current cellar master of the estate.

Now, what’s the best way to buy a recent vintage of Dom Perignon? Or, for that matter, any fine wine, including Bordeaux or any other French wine?

How do you get the best prices and be assured you’re not buying a counterfeit bottle?

Your best bet would be to have a wine investment company like Vinovest buy your Dom Perignon bottles, store them under perfect conditions, and even sell them for you.

Invest in Dom Perignon and Other Renowned Wines Through Vinovest 

Vinovestis a wine investment company that buys, authenticates, stores, and sells your wines for you anywhere in the world, be it San Francisco, USA or Christchurch, New Zealand.

You can even have your bottles delivered to your doorstep if you wish to add a touch of effervescence to your tipple with friends!

How Does it Work?

You only need to follow these steps:

1. Sign up on the Vinovest website. 
2. Fill up a questionnaire for Vinovest to assess your risk appetite and investment preferences.
3. Add funds to your account.
4. Track your fine wine portfolio online.

Benefits of Buying Wines via Vinovest

Here’s why you should consider investing in wine through Vinovest:

• Easy buying and selling of wines: Vinovest makes buying and selling wines super easy with its Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based online platform. 
• Best Prices: Vinovest sources wines straight from winemakers, global wine exchanges, and wine merchants, getting your bottles at exclusive deals!
• Provenance and Authenticity: You won’t have to worry about dealing with fake wine bottles. Vinovest authenticates your bottles and traces their provenance before you buy them.
• Optimal Storage: Vinovest stores your wine bottles safely in bonded warehouses under optimal light, humidity, vibration, and temperature conditions.
• Curated Wine Portfolio: A team of Sommeliers and data scientists carefully curates your portfolio using proprietary financial models and historical data.
• Insurance and Security: The bonded warehouses are under 24/7 surveillance by security cameras and have power backups to ensure optimal climate control. A comprehensive insurance policy also protects your bottles from breakage, theft, and loss.
• Low Overall Costs: Besides adding funds to your account, you only need to pay a 2.5% annual fee (1.9% for portfolios over $50,000). It covers buying, authenticating, storing, a full insurance policy, portfolio management, and selling your bottles.
• Easy Delivery: Vinovest will safely deliver your wines to your buyer once sold. And, if you wish to drink your wine, you can have it delivered to your home. 

Add An Elegant Dom Perignon To Your Cellar!

You could buy a coveted Dom Perignon through many channels, including wine stores, online platforms, and others. But you’ll never know whether you’re guaranteed the best prices. 

Moreover, it could get unnecessarily complicated if you’ve to deal with counterfeit bottles.

Your smartest and easiest option is buying, storing, and selling your Dom Perignon and other best wines through Vinovest.

So sign upright away and get ready to build a winning wine portfolio!