When French champagne house Dom Pérignon comes calling, you answer. The esteemed producer has spent more than a century perfecting the craft, infusing a touch of elegance into each and every tiny bubble. So, when the French icon announced its illustrious Vintage 2013 would finally be making a debut, we donned our best attire at hit seafood restaurant Saint Peter for an intimate dinner with Dom.
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Image: Dom Pérignon
While the star of the show was undoubtedly the drop, Dom Pérignon winemaker Jean-Baptiste Terlay was also on hand to walk us through the latest release. According to the Champagne expert, Vintage 2013 reconnects the brand with late harvest vintages and offers ‘harmony sculpted by time.’ Meticulously paired with chef Josh Niland‘s cuisine, it took our taste buds on one heck of an adventure.
Terlay explained, “The creation of the 2013 vintage reveals the resonance between the pinots noirs and chardonnays, acidity and full-bodied, resulting in a precise, elegant, and tactile bouquet that blooms in an extremely delicate powdery aromatic braid around three nuances. The wine amplifies and blossoms before ceding to an ineffable sensation, the elegance of clarity. Dom Pérignon Vintage 2013 is a remarkable achievement, elevating the brand to new heights and extending the longevity of this exceptional champagne.”
Image: Dom Pérignon x Josh Niland
Dom Pérignon’s latest release arrives at a time of relative extremes, whereas the last two decades have been primarily defined by early harvests. When crafting Vintage 2013, Terlay combined the unique character of each respective vintage with the qualities imparted by an active maturation on the lees in dark cellars. The result is a glorious balancing act between assorted temperaments, which also happens to be a truly vivacious and nuanced champagne.
Image: Dom Pérignon x Josh Niland
Whilst memorable in its own right, Vintage 2013 came even further to life when paired with Chef Niland’s culinary creations. The tasting menu was organised according to theme and it kicked off with ‘INTENSITY,’ i.e. his signature Charcoal Coral Trout Head in Achiote Vinaigrette. Next came ‘PRECISION’ (Coral Trout Agnolotti in Consommé, Tapioca, and Oyster Mushrooms), followed by ‘TACTILE’ (Glazed Manjup Marron). Our final course of ‘COMPLEXITY’ was another signature dish of Dry-aged Yellowfin Tuna, Figs, Rosemary, and Fried Potato. To say that the food tasted absolutely delightful and paired beautifully with the champagne would be an understatement.
Image: Dom Pérignon x Josh Niland
A true cause for celebration, Vintage 2013 runs on the idea of one wine with many facets or expressions. Nowhere was that more evident than during our spectacular night at Saint Peter, which represented multiple journeys. First, there came the journey from the vine to the cellar and then the journey from the cellar to the bottle. Finally, there was the dinner and champagne pairing, a journey with considerably fewer challenges but all kinds of great rewards. It was a night our taste buds will never forget.
