‘Unparalleled luxury’

By Jennifer Huberdeau

Do you dream of sipping specialty vintages of Dom Pérignon in the grandeur of a time forgotten?

Look no further than the Berkshires, where the Champagne Salon by Dom Pérignon, at Blantyre, is the only place this is possible in North America.

“It’s definitely a destination,” said Justin Bother, director of food and beverage at Blantrye. “The Berkshires has a lot of visibility with young people in Boston and New York. They want to check out the novelty and unique places in this area.”

“Then we have the gentry; the second-home owners who come for the summer and spend their days at the golf clubs. Now, they get to start off the afternoon or evening with a glass of Dom Pérignon.”

Opened at the beginning of July, the Champagne Salon features two venues: La Cave, a speakeasy-inspired space, and The Cloisters, a secluded seasonal garden patio that seats 24.

“The closest thing I can liken it to is the elegant wine bars of France,” Bother said. “We offer the finest Dom Pérignon has to offer, which is on the bucket list of any food or wine lover.”

Here, champagne and wine connoisseurs can find the finest Dom Pérignon has to offer, including the exclusive line of Plenitudes, known as Vintage, P2 and P3 — champagnes that undergo an extended nine-year fermentation process, sometimes more than once, to enhance the robustness and complexities in taste — by the bottle. A bottle of Cuvee Dom Pérignon P3 1971 will set you back $4,400, while a Cuvee Dom Pérignon P3 Rose 1998 carries a price tag of $6,600.

“Dom Pérignon recently started disgorging the 1985, 1998 and 1971 Plenitudes,” Bother said. “It makes for a most stunning collection.”

At the same time, the causal champagne consumer can experience the same rare vintages and Plenitudes by the glass, half-glass or flight, at a significantly lower price. The Vintage Trinity, a half-glass flight of three Dom Perignon offerings — a 2009, a Rose 2005, and a P2 Blanc 2000 — costs $120. Single half-glasses range in price from $25 to $55, while full glasses range from $45 to $110.

Nestled in the estate’s original wine barrel aging rooms, La Cave evokes the atmosphere of a sleek underground hideaway with its brick and stone walls. Guests have the option of dining on caviar, raclette and cheese fondue or appetizers that include house-made charcuterie, assorted cheeses and chicken liver mousse.

The partnership with Dom Pérignon follows a “re-imagining and multimillion-dollar transformation” of Blantyre, a Tudor-style mansion turned hotel resort set on 110 acres.

“Both Dom Perignon and Blantyre exude unparalleled luxury through their storied heritage,” said Linda Law, a real estate developer and investor who purchased Blantyre in 2017. “In the same manner in which a glass of Dom Pérignon is a true act of creation, each stay at Blantyre is carefully curated to offer an experience that simply cannot be replicated.” •