Dom Pérignon launches 2003 rosé with Koons collaboration

Dom Pérignon has launched its 2003 vintage rosé, which the Champagne house will release in a limited edition gift box designed in collaboration with American artist Jeff Koons.

Jeff Koons with Dom Pérignon chef de cave Richard Geoffroy

Koons’ made-to-order case, The Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus will be available for a year only and carries an RRP of €15,000. The vintage rosé is also available, without the case, in Selfridges at a less expensive RRP of £340.

This design partnership marks the latest in a series of “Creator Collaboration” initiatives from Dom Pérignon. 2012 saw the Champagne house team up with David Lynch for its 2003 brut white vintage and 2000 vintage rosé.

Richard Geoffroy, chef de cave at Dom Pérignon described the vintage produced from the 2003 harvest as “one of the most memorable ever” and as “the vintage of superlatives and extremes”.

Three quarters of the potential Chardonnay harvest in the region was destroyed during the harsh winter, while the hottest summer in 53 years forced the earliest harvest for Dom Pérignon since 1882.

Geoffroy said: “We saw the greatness of the vintage but had to find a way to express it. Our team was mobilised and ready to meet all the challenges and take the risks needed to respond to the extreme conditions of the year.”

He described the 2003 rosé as “voluptuous, with a velvety texture and a hint of liquorice, but still with the minerality that is the signature of Dom Pérignon.”

As well as the Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus, Koons will also design limited edition gift boxes for the house’s 2004 white, which will be launched later in the year.