Even as you savor the present, it’s worth remembering the journey that brought you here. This was the first thought that crossed my mind upon seeing Dom Pérignon’s latest incarnation. The LVMH-owned Champagne house teamed up with Stockholm-based artist Mathias Bengtsson to create a limited edition collection of Champagne bottles, each encased in intricate, vine-like sculptures.
This collaboration has produced two unique limited editions. Sixty of these gilded masterpieces, each numbered, hold the Dom Pérignon Vintage 1999 Plénitude 2. An even rarer pink-gold version, just 20 in total, houses the Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000 Plénitude 2 Rosé. For once, it’s not the Champagne itself that captures my attention, it’s the cases, breathtaking sculptures that elevate the entire experience.
Bengtsson, a visionary Danish designer, turned to biomimicry, using digital ‘seeds’ imbued with DNA-like algorithms to mimic how vines twist and flourish through ever-changing weather conditions. The resulting sculptures were cast in bronze, plated to achieve their lustrous finishes, and hand-polished to perfection. Each singular creation is designed to embrace the magnum bottles of these exceptional vintages.
As for the Champagne within, Dom Pérignon Vintage 1999 Plénitude 2 delivers an intricate umami profile, its mid-palate unexpectedly lush and fruity. The finish lingers with hints of sea breeze and delicately toasted notes. In contrast, Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000 Plénitude 2 Rosé captures both warmth and coolness in every sip. Its soft, rounded mouthfeel gives way to a surprising finale, tightening, then relaxing, layered with sappy acidity that intrigues and delights.
