Dom Pérignon

France, Champagne

Dom Pérignon

Dom Pérignon has a tendency to be a bit of a vanishing act.

 

Being a very correct and clean Champagne it sometimes disappears in a crowd when young. While never quite disappointing it evades that sense of presence which the likes of Krug, Salon or Taittinger Comtes de Champagne for example command right from the get go. It eschews the spotlight and prefers to remain behind a curtain, shy and full of promise, in waiting for those who know what it can be when given the right circumstances.

 

The Plénitude iterations are where you will find the hidden and oh so very true greatness of Dom Pérignon. P1, P2 and P3 are roadsigns directing you to a secret eden where you will want to linger for as long as possible. A place where perfection is the only concern to trouble your mind with.

P as in PPPerfect

P1 typically sees about 8-9 years of aging on the lees. The fruit here becomes a little more complex and developed. The wine is starting to move away from the background players. Still racy, crisp and energetic at its core.

P1 will alert you to the fact that there is a curtain somewhere in the room.

P2 (previously Œnotheque) is the next stage and really the one where things begin to get interesting. After about 12-15 on the lees the wine is coming into its own and opening up tastes and smells previously hidden. The energy and crispness of Dom Pérignon is still present but is now sharing the stage on equal terms with the start of the mature experience and its complexity.

P2 will let you see the curtain and invite yo to come closer.

P3 finally has 25+ years on the lees. Now it’s all about maturity and the racy crispness and energy move to the back seat while perhaps not leaving the vehicle entirely. Complexity reaches its maximum in these versions and if that is where your desires live then by all means visit as often as you can!

P3 will let you open the curtain and find Dom Pérignon beckoning with full maturity and beguiling pleasure at the very top end of what Champagne can be.

P1 is the gateway drug.

 

P2 and P3 are what will have you  mainline hooked.

 

No need for rehab however, just patience until the next bottle comes your way.

- Article, Reviews and Photography by TWI