2008 Dom Pérignon now in Exclusive Pre-sale

2008 - the Year of Miracles

Grey overcast skies were dominant over Champagne during the summer of 2008 - an exception in a decade where the sun blazed down on the region’s landscape. When the time for harvesting approached, the weather changed to cloudless blue skies. The grapes were in a better condition than we had dreamed of and the vines were utterly optimal - it was clear that 2008 would provide a Champagne miracle!

Thus, 2008 is a year where all the Champagne houses experienced the completely ideal conditions that have contributed to some of the best Champagnes in recent times and 2008 Dom Pérignon, in particular, is a candidate for the best Dom Pérignon ever!

Iconic Cellar Master retires after 30 years at the top

Richard Geoffroy has been a defining force in Champagne and a large part of the credit for the global position and reputation that both Dom Pérignon and Champagne in general enjoy today is equally attributed to his efforts.

Over the last thirty years, Dom Pérignon’s famous cellar master has had a hand in positioning both Dom Pérignon and Champagne as our era’s super brands and his work has been of considerable importance to how Dom Pérignon is today perceived as a banner bearer for Champagne as storage wine.

Plénitude - Dom Pérignon at a higher level

His greatest achievement must be the transition from Dom Pérignons Oenoteque concept to the Plénitude program. At Geoffroy’s initiative, Dom Pérignon has progressed from viewing Champagne’s ageing as a linear process to Champagne having certain expressions at certain “plénitudes” - plateaus. The first plateau (P1) is reached after about 9 years, where the "normal" Dom Pérignon is released. Later, P2 is released after about 17 years and, finally, P3 is released that is typically first disgorged after 30 years in Dom Pérignon’s cellar.

Richard Geoffroy has single-handedly headed all aspects of the production of the last 15 vintages of Dom Pérignon and thus ends an impressive career with the best vintage ever and sets a memorable full stop for an era that will go down in history.

Extensive Enthusiasm

The critics agree on the quality of the 2008 vintage and are, to a considerable extent, enthusiastic. Galloni (Vinous) gives 98+ points to 2008 Dom Pérignon and describes it as nothing less than "fabulous", while both Suckling and Juhlin give it 98 points. Thus 2008 matches both 2002 and 1996 and is close to being the best vintage since 1988.

Greater Demand than ever!

Both connoisseurs, enthusiasts, traders and private buyers have for several years been keenly waiting for the 2008 vintage, and the fact that both Dom Pérignon and Cristal have postponed the release of their 2008 vintage several times, has not put a damper on the interest - on the contrary.

Massive Production for a thirsty Market

In a typical year, Dom Pérignon produces between 5 and 10 million bottles a year, but the large production must be seen in the light of corresponding enormous human consumption. Each day several thousand bottles of Dom Pérignon are consumed in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels and on better flights just as Dom Pérignon is also drunk in grand style in private homes all over the world. 

When this enormous consumption is attributed to the extraordinarily high demand, due to both drinking desire and storage potential, the many millions of bottles only satisfy the demand to a limited extent.

Exclusive Pre-sale - for Investment only

2008 Dom Pérignon is not expected to reach the shops and restaurants before early spring, but Rare Wine Invest is already now completely exclusively able to offer you 2008 Dom Pérignon in pre-sale.

The retail price will only be known when the goods are in the shops, but 2008 Dom Pérignon is already now being traded on the secondary market at €130, which is at the low end of the range that Rare Wine Invest assesses will apply for the final market price when the goods are physically on the market.

The purchase of wines in pre-sale and newly released wines is in principle always associated with a risk that, in the short term, the price will change when the market price finds its final level - typically within the first year.

Rare Wine Invest is alone in offering 2008 vintage Dom Pérignon for investment before the wines are physically on the market. The price of €130 corresponds to a premium of almost 20% compared to the 2006/2009 vintage. By comparison, a premium of approximately 35% applies for the 2008 vintage from both Louis Roederer Cristal and Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill.

Rare Wine Invest’s Opinion

2008 Dom Pérignon is the most noble farewell salute that a cellar master can hope for, and they will together go down in history. 

The whole world is waiting with bated breath for when 2008 Dom Pérignon will be available physically, and we at Rare Wine Invest recommend investing in this. 2008 Dom Pérignon should, in our view, be included in any serious wine portfolio.

It is several years since we received the first queries about the possibility of pre-booking 2008 vintage and the waiting list is already long but, currently, there is sufficient volume so that new investors that are not already on the waiting list can invest.

Now is your opportunity to buy a sensible quantity of 2008 Dom Pérignon for your wine portfolio at a price that we assess as being at the low end of the range that the final market price is expected to reach.