The Fancy Vintage Bottle That's Worth A Small Fortune Today

Few alcohols match the glitz and glamor of Champagne, which is typically reflected in its high price tag. One of the most iconic luxury Champagne brands is Dom Pérignon, a French, vintage-only label produced by Moët & Chandon, with its inaugural vintage dating back to 1921. Although it's not the most expensive Champagne in the world, a bottle of Dom Pérignon has become more than just a drink — it's a status symbol, and sometimes even considered a smart investment. 

On average, a bottle of Dom will set you back between $250 and $400, and more exclusive varieties from the brand have sold for unfathomable amounts. For instance, with only 35 gold-plated bottles ever produced, a bottle of 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé Gold Mathusalem can cost as much as $49,000. In 2010, a 30-bottle lot of Dom Pérignon Œnothèque Rosé from various vintages sold for a record-breaking $170,641.

So why are people willing to pay such large sums for this Champagne? For starters, unlike other Champagne houses that blend grapes from multiple years, Dom Pérignon is exclusively vintage. This means it's only produced in exceptional harvest years, when the grapes reach the highest level of quality, and each vintage is aged for a minimum of seven years. Quality is everything — and in 2023, an entire cellar of Champagne was discarded after it was deemed to fall below the brand's rigorous standards. As of 2025, the latest vintage year of standard Dom Pérignon released is the 2015 — so when you're drinking Dom, you're drinking a piece of viticultural history.

Dom Pérignon is named after Dom Pierre Pérignon, a French Benedictine monk who pioneered several developments that laid the groundwork for modern Champagne — including methods to prevent the bottles from exploding. While Dom Pérignon took inspiration from his name and legacy, neither party invented Champagne — but the brand's continued refinement of the production process elevated it to levels of luxury and quality previously unseen. Established in 1921, the first bottles of Dom weren't released for sale until 1936 due to the brand's famously long aging process. At that time, aging Champagne was an extremely novel concept, and the label's signature taste caused the house to garner instant recognition and acclaim.

The meticulous production process is one key difference that sets Champagne apart from regular wine. The grapes used in Dom Pérignon are a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in almost equal proportions. These are sourced from Grand Cru vineyards and a specific Premier Cru vineyard in the Abbey of Hautvillers, all of which are located in the Champagne region of France — the only region where Champagne can legally be produced. Grand Cru is the highest classification of wine and refers to villages considered to have exceptional soil, climate, and growing conditions for grapes used in Champagne. The classification process to attain Grand Cru status is exceptionally strict, so vineyards with this designation are held in extremely high regard.

In modern times, Dom Pérignon has become deeply embedded in pop culture and carries significant cultural capital. It's been referenced in Jay-Z songs, "James Bond" films, and its celebrity collaborators have included Andy Warhol, Lady Gaga, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.