The short answer
The most recent recorded sale of Dom Perignon 1961 in our data was £483 a bottle in April 2021.
Dom Perignon 1961 stands among the most celebrated releases in the history of the house, holding a critic average of 98.3 across 3 published reviews. Glass of Bubbly describes 1961 as an above average to excellent Champagne vintage that produced healthy grapes of very good quality, and Decanter includes the wine in its Wine Legend series. Collector records in our dataset hold 15 drinker ratings, and the vintage has traded in 2 months of our recorded history. Subsequent celebrated editions include the 1962, with a critic average of 94.0, the 1964, with 96.3, and the 1966, with 96.0. Produced under Moet & Chandon cellar management, bottles from 1961 represent a mature pinnacle of mid-century Champagne production. Well-stored bottles maintain significant historical interest for collectors assessing older prestige cuvees alongside benchmark vintages such as the 1952 edition, with a critic average of 97.0.
Vintage evaluation for Dom Perignon 1961
Dom Perignon 1961 is a historic benchmark vintage that holds a critic average of 98.3 across 3 published reviews. For fine wine buyers evaluating mature prestige cuvees, the dom perignon 1961 has documented secondary market activity. It has traded in 2 months of our recorded history, and our dataset holds 15 drinker ratings. Decanter's Wine Legend profile records a cool spring, slow but trouble-free flowering, and warm rather than torrid weather that let the grapes ripen fully. The wine has moved past its primary maturation stage and sits as a rare collectors item produced under the stewardship of Moet & Chandon.
The Union des Maisons de Champagne records 1961 as a bumper harvest that met expectations. After a wet, mild winter the season began early; frost struck on 28 to 30 May, worst in the Aube, and many areas saw poor fruit set, but a hot, sunny August and much-needed September rain gave a yield beyond expectations. Picking began on 20 September.
Critic scores and collective reception
The 1961 holds a critic average of 98.3 in our dataset. Professional critics give the 1962 release 94.0, the 1964 release 96.3, and the 1966 release 96.0. Further along that era, the 1969 vintage holds a critic average of 96.3. Among modern benchmark releases, the 2008 holds 98.0 and the 2012 holds 97.0.
Bottles with sound provenance display fully evolved tertiary profiles. While recent releases like the 2015 vintage show youthful fruit, the 1961 vintage reflects more than six decades of bottle integration. Secondary market lots require strict verification of ullage, colour, and capsule condition before acquisition.
Historical context and production standards
Decanter records that the 1961 blend was exactly half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir, drawn largely from Ay, Bouzy, Cramant, Le Mesnil, Verzenay and Hautvillers, and blended under chef de cave Rene Philipponnat. Richard Geoffroy, the long-serving Dom Perignon winemaker, called it a superlative and most sought-after vintage.
The 1961 bottling gained lasting fame as the champagne served at the wedding toast of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, when 600 magnums were shipped to London for the occasion. Decanter includes the 1961 in its Wine Legend series, where Tom Stevenson calls it the best Dom Perignon he has ever tasted. This historical footprint explains why secondary market tracking notes consistent collector demand despite limited active bottle counts.
Drinking window and storage dynamics
Given that over sixty years have passed since the harvest, Dom Perignon 1961 is in its late tertiary phase. For comparison, the 1964 carries a drinking window of 2017 to 2020, the 1966 a window of 2017 to 2020, and the 1969 a window of 2009 to 2022. The 1971 holds a window of 2017 to 2030, and the 1975 spans 2017 to 2038. Any remaining 1961 bottles require immediate consumption upon opening rather than prolonged aeration.
Collectors opening bottles from 1961 should expect gentle effervescence and mature aromas. When dealing with bottles that have spent over half a century in glass, bottle variation becomes the dominant variable.
Market position against neighbouring vintages
Across older prestige cuvee transactions, the 1961 release is a sought-after historical release. In the surrounding decades, the 1952 vintage holds a critic average of 97.0 and the 1955 holds 95.0. Moving into the 1970s, the 1973 release holds 93.0 with a window of 2017 to 2020, and the 1976 holds 94.0 with a window of 2017 to 2027.
Its critical standing, its place in Decanter's Wine Legend series and the 1981 royal wedding toast keep 1961 in collector focus. While modern cellar programmes such as Plenitude releases highlight extended lees ageing, original disgorgements of 1961 represent the foundation of the modern prestige cuvee category.
Common questions
What is the average critic score for Dom Perignon 1961?
Dom Perignon 1961 holds a critic average of 98.3 across 3 published reviews from professional wine critics in our dataset.
How did critics rate the 1961 Champagne harvest?
The main Champagne vintage guides give 1961 no rating. Glass of Bubbly describes it as an above average to excellent Champagne vintage that produced healthy grapes of very good quality.
Is Dom Perignon 1961 still suitable for drinking?
Dom Perignon 1961 is fully mature and in its late tertiary phase. Bottles stored under pristine cellar conditions can still be opened, but they should be consumed immediately after opening.
How does 1961 compare to other 1960s Dom Perignon vintages?
Dom Perignon 1961 holds a critic average of 98.3. In our dataset the 1962 holds 94.0, the 1964 96.3, the 1966 96.0 and the 1969 96.3.
Sources
- Decanter Wine Legend: Dom Perignon 1961, checked 2026-08-20
- Dom Perignon Official Heritage Overview, checked 2026-08-20
- Union des Maisons de Champagne, 1961 harvest overview, checked 2026-09-29
- Glass of Bubbly, Champagne vintage years of the 1960s, checked 2026-09-30
By WineExperts. First published , last updated . Figures from our tracked merchant prices and recorded sales; text prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed above.