Dom Pérignon Rosé 2002 sells out in an hour

Fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index’s allocation of the newly released Dom Pérignon Rosé 2002 sold out in under an hour yesterday, with the entire UK allocation gone before midday.

Speaking to the drinks business at the launch of the wine at Leighton House in west London yesterday, Champagne buyer Gareth Birchley said:

“We’ve had a record breaking January for Champagne sales. I sold my entire allocation of Dom Pérignon Rosé 2002 (£500,000 worth) in less than an hour yesterday morning.

“In one month we’ve spent 75% of our 2012 spend with Moët Hennessy. We’ve sold £750,000 worth of Champagne already this year.”

Bordeaux Index sold cases of DP Rosé 2002 yesterday at £2,200 each. The wine scored at 98 point rating with Antonio Galloni of The Wine Advocate.

Galloni described the wine as: “Pinot-rich” with an “intense, vinous style,” adding, “This is going to be a fascinating Champagne to follow.”

Bordeaux Index was offered the biggest UK allocation of the Champagne by owners Moët Hennessy.

“People are realising how good value Champagne is compared to top-end Bordeaux and Burgundy. A lot of people are buying it to drink, but there’s an element of speculation too,” Birchley said.

“The only downside to rosé Champagne is that some customers are cagey about paying a premium for rosé,” he admitted.

Meanwhile, Jack Dundas, an account manager for Moët Hennessy, was surprised at how quickly the wine sold out.

“All the top UK merchants like Berry Bros and Farr Vintners got behind it and they all sold out yesterday and have asked for more,” Dundas told db.

Dom Pérignon’s chef de cave, Richard Geoffroy. Credit: Colin Hampden-White

“We knew DP Rosé 2002 would be a hot ticket, following on from the success of the standard DP 2002 vintage, but we weren’t anticipating it to be this big.

“We sold more Dom Pérignon Rosé in the last day than we sold all of last year.

“It will turn out to be the shortest rosé vintage on record; so short we may even see a second Dom Pérignon Rosé release later this year,” said Dundas, hinting that it was likely to be the 2003 vintage, to follow suit with the release of DP 2003 last year.

Dom Pérignon’s chef de cave Richard Geoffroy described DP Rosé 2002 last night thus: “This is the dark jewel of Dom Pérignon. There’s a duality and tension going on.

“The wine is at the same time bold, dark, rich, ripe, airy, mineral, sensuous, precise and powerful, with hints of smoke and black cherry and a sappy, crystalline note.”

Geoffroy said the wine as “more expressive” than the 1996 vintage, and most similar to 1990.