Dom Perignon is an upscale champagne produced by Moet and Chandon, a champagne house famous for its luxurious taste and expensive bottles. You might not know what the name Dom Perignon was a monk who had a lot to do with the pioneering of champagne. It’s Moet and Chandon’s premier brand, and one portion of that brand is coming to an end.
The First Plenitude is over. This is the first span of life of the champagne after it is put into production. Each bottle of champagne has goes through three different plenitudes. The first of the 2004 vintage is officially over, and the vintage will now go into the second plenitude, which typically occurs 12 to 15 years after a bottle has been produced. While this does not mean anything other than that the champagne is now older and more desirable, some might think this means that the production is over. It’s not.
The 2004 vintage will be branded differently now. As of now, it will be branded as a P2, until it reaches the 30 year mark, when it will be branded P3 because it will have reached the third plenitude – or 20 years of being on lees. Not all champagne is left on its lees, and therefore it does not age in these three stages, but since this particular champagne does, it’s a big moment that deserves a bit of a celebration for the new phase.
To commemorate the fact that the first plenitude has ended, Daniel Sannwald and Iris van Herpen will collaborate with Moet and Chandon to create a video that is designed to represent the metamorphosis in which the champagne has evolved since its release in 2004. The video is nothing short of interesting, and designed to show the world precisely what happens when the champagne ages.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPRUB41GutY&w=640&h=360]
(Photo by Getty Images For Moet & Chandon)
