Is Dom Pérignon Worth It?

We’ve all heard about it, but very few of us have tasted it. Dom Pérignon is one of the world’s most famous Champagnes. It’s a luxurious beverage that isn’t something you simply buy on the regular!

Served alongside caviar, smoked salmon, lobster tail, and gold leaf truffles, Dom Pérignon will truly make you feel like one of the richest people in the world!

But is Dom Pérignon worth its lavish price? This Champagne can set you back anywhere between $150–$380 per bottle. In terms of quality alone, Dom Pérignon is worth every cent — it’s made from the best vintages, aged for at least 8 years, and not sold in mass quantities. However, many people tend to buy more budget-friendly sparkling wines.

Our belief is that you should know your flavor preferences when it comes to sparkling wines. Read up on what Dom Pérignon generally tastes like to decide if it’s something you’d likely enjoy — then decide if it’s worth the investment.

Today, we will dive deep into this luxury wine and break down exactly what makes it expensive and why so many people are fascinated by it.

We’ll look at when and how it is made, what it tastes like, and how it compares to cheaper, better-known sparkling wines.

What Is Dom Pérignon?

Why Is Dom Pérignon So Expensive?

Below, we will look at some of the biggest reasons this champagne is so sought after and, more importantly, why it is so expensive.

1. Dom Pérignon Is A Vintage Champagne

The first vintage of Dom Pérignon was produced in 1921, but only released for sale in 1936.

Between 1921–2012, only 44 white Dom Pérignon vintages were released. Between 1959–2022, only 26 rosé Dom Pérignon champagnes were released.

But what does “vintage” mean?

When people refer to a bottle of champagne or wine as a “vintage” product, it means that all the grapes that were used to make it comes from the same harvest in the same year.

For example, a 2006 vintage Dom Pérignon was made from grapes all coming from the 2006 harvest.

While this may not seem significant, it is one key feature that makes this champagne special.

Most wine-based alcoholic beverages are made from grapes that come from various vintages. These are also commonly called “blends” or they aren’t labeled with a  specific date.

It is a lot cheaper to make wine using different grape batches than it is to use a single vintage. Again, this is one thing that makes Dom Pérignon more expensive, like most other vintage alcohols.

2. Dom Pérignon Doesn’t Produce A Vintage Every Year

Another thing that makes this champagne extremely unique is that they don’t make Dom Pérignon from weak years. A weak year is seen as a year where the general quality of the harvest is seen as being low.

Dom Pérignon is rarely produced for more than two years in a row — the first time 5 vintages were produced in a row was between 2002–2006. Remember, that’s in 100 years of making this wine!

That’s quite impressive and part of why people seek out this wine so much. They don’t produce a lot, and they don’t produce every single year. So, ultimately what does hit the market is the best quality you could get!

3. Dom Pérignon Is An Aged Champagne

The earliest time frame Dom Pérignon is released is after having matured for about 8–10 years. That’s quite a long period! This release is referred to as “the First Plenitude (P1).”

So, if the vintage was 2000, the champagne will likely only be released in 2008, 2009, or 2010.

And if you don’t already know, the older an alcohol is, the higher that price tag is going to be!

Now, old wine isn’t necessarily good wine; it comes down to personal preference. So please don’t think, “this is an old expensive wine so it must be good.” That’s not a fact-based statement — sometimes the cheapest wines are the best!

So don’t go off of age as a deciding factor whether or not Dom Pérignon is aged. It is just another reason it is expensive and more special as it takes a lot longer to produce.

4. Some Bottles Are Much Older (Dom Pérignon Second And Third Plenitude)

If you thought 8–10 years is a long time to wait for champagne to age, then you’ll be blown away by the Dom Pérignon Second Plenitude champagne bottles.

Only the 17 best vintages are chosen for longer aging. Some of these are released after 8–10 years of slow aging (P1).

However, the remainder of the batch is further matured for another decade or so. The Second Plenitude (P2) is released after the champagne has lees-aged for 15–20 years in total.

Again, the older the alcohol, the higher the price tag. That’s also why so many people age wine themselves in a home cellar.

You even get P3 (Third Plenitude) which is aged for even longer, up to 40 years! But these are released in very small quantities.

5. Dom Pérignon Doesn’t Produce A Lot Of Champagne

Now, the number may seem big, but we’ll put it into perspective soon. Each vintage only produces about 5 million bottles. This number is precise every year, but an average. Some vintages only released 2 million bottles!

This may seem like a mind-blowing number, but take a look at some of these statistics:

• Champagne (real Champagne from France) produces about 300–325 million bottles annually.
• Moet & Chandon (the largest manufacturer of Champagne) produces 30 million bottles per year.
• There are about 623 million bottles of certified Prosecco DOC produced every year.

Is Dom Pérignon Worth It?

What Can You Expect To Pay For A Bottle Of Dom Pérignon?

Factors that will affect the price of your bottle include the vintage, the plenitude (how long it has aged), and where you are located (shipping and import costs, etc.).

Here are some (average) prices of Dom Pérignon bottles from different vintages:

Vintage	Age In 2022	Average Price (In The US)
Dom Pérignon 1985	37 years (P3)	$371
Dom Pérignon 1990	32 years (P3)	$360
Dom Pérignon 1993	29 years (P3)	$319
Dom Pérignon 1995	27 years (P3)	$280
Dom Pérignon 1997	25 years (P3)	$249
Dom Pérignon 2000	22 years (P3)	$206
Dom Pérignon 2004	18 years (P2)	$173
Dom Pérignon 2006	16 years (P2)	$164
Dom Pérignon 2009	13 years (P2)	$160
Dom Pérignon 2012	10 years (P1)	$158
Dom Pérignon 2014	8 years (P1)	$156

So, Is Dom Pérignon Worth The Purchase?

This is a very subjective question. Some people would say no, but we think that you should try to experience it at least once in your life (if you can), even if it is just a single glass of Dom Pérignon (although these are extremely expensive).

In terms of flavor (more on this below), you may not necessarily like it. Again, no two champagnes or wines can be compared side by side — what some think of as good is completely unappealing to you, and that has nothing to do with price!

Again, just because something is expensive doesn’t mean that you will like it or that it is obligated to taste good to you. And some of our favorite wines are the cheapest bottles in the aisle! That’s just our preference though.

But if you can, like many things, try Dom Pérignon at least once in your life.

What Does Dom Pérignon Taste Like?

So, the flavor of Dom Pérignon changes between vintages. You can expect similar notes, but they do blend the champagne every year they make it.

This is part of why they don’t produce Dom Pérignon every year — if the grapes aren’t up to standard, they skip the year.

But knowing what you can expect will save you a ton of money if you know your preferences. Knowing you don’t like (for example, white wine) will save you money (since you won’t waste it on white wine you won’t drink).

You should figure out your champagne preferences before making this purchase, especially because these bottles are so expensive.

1. The Nose (Aroma)

Most people describe the aromas of Dom Pérignon as toasty and similar to coffee. There are also undertones of vanilla and cream, with very subtle hints of spices.

As the Champagne ages, it also develops a slight almond-like aroma and an even more prominent toasted smell.

2. The Palate (Taste)

It is well known that Dom Pérignon has very strong mineral flavors accompanied by flavors of mature fruit. It is also on the more acidic side with some spicy notes that linger after you’ve swallowed it.

This is a dry sparkling wine with a “rounded palate.” All of these have complex flavor profiles because they have been aged, but they are relatively easy to drink for those who like heavy, dry, tart, and crisp Champagnes.

Dom Pérignon Vs Champagne

Dom Pérignon is a type of Champagne, which is a sparkling wine that can only be produced in the Champagne AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlée) region of France.

The term “Dom Pérignon” refers to the name of the cuvée (blend and production method) and brand. Moet & Chandon are also manufacturers of this style of champagne. 

Dom Pérignon shares many similar characteristics with other types of Champagne. That includes the types of grapes they are made from, how the wine is made and aged, and how it is bottled.

Dom Pérignon Vs Prosecco

Prosecco is similar to Champagne (and therefore Dom Pérignon) in that it is also sparkling wine.

However, you can only call a sparkling wine “Champagne” if it is produced in the Champagne region of France (a protected regional appellation), and Dom Pérignon can only be made by Dom Pérignon.

Prosecco is a sparkling wine that is made in the Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) region of Italy using Glera grapes.

So basically, Champagne and Prosecco are both sparkling wines that were produced in very specific locations and therefore have different regional classifications, while Dom Pérignon is a specific brand of Champagne.

Prosecco tends to be a lot more affordable than Dom Pérignon because it’s produced in higher volumes, doesn’t get aged for as many years (only about 3–5 years), and is produced much more frequently than Dom Pérignon.

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