The Bottle
The 1971 vintage nearly did not happen. Frost in April and three separate hailstorms left roughly a sixth of Champagne unharvested, but a warm September rescued what remained, and the surviving fruit was exceptional. Made under chef de cave René Philipponnat, the wine then rested on its lees for thirty-five years before Richard Geoffroy disgorged and released it through the Oenothèque program in 2006.
Time on the lees shields a Champagne from oxidation, so this bottle reached disgorgement having barely begun to age. One man decided what went into it, and another, decades later, decided when it should come out. The blend is equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Collection 86 offers it by the bottle at Yaamava' Resort & Casino in Highland, California.
The Bottle
The 1971 vintage nearly did not happen. Frost in April and three separate hailstorms left roughly a sixth of Champagne unharvested, but a warm September rescued what remained, and the surviving fruit was exceptional. Made under chef de cave René Philipponnat, the wine then rested on its lees for thirty-five years before Richard Geoffroy disgorged and released it through the Oenothèque program in 2006.
Time on the lees shields a Champagne from oxidation, so this bottle reached disgorgement having barely begun to age. One man decided what went into it, and another, decades later, decided when it should come out. The blend is equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Collection 86 offers it by the bottle at Yaamava' Resort & Casino in Highland, California.
Oenothèque Release • 35 Years on the LeesÉpernay, Champagne, France
Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1971
Oenothèque Release • 35 Years on the Lees
The Bottle
The 1971 vintage nearly did not happen. Frost in April and three separate hailstorms left roughly a sixth of Champagne unharvested, but a warm September rescued what remained, and the surviving fruit was exceptional. Made under chef de cave René Philipponnat, the wine then rested on its lees for thirty-five years before Richard Geoffroy disgorged and released it through the Oenothèque program in 2006.
Time on the lees shields a Champagne from oxidation, so this bottle reached disgorgement having barely begun to age. One man decided what went into it, and another, decades later, decided when it should come out. The blend is equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Collection 86 offers it by the bottle at Yaamava' Resort & Casino in Highland, California.