Drinking the Stars - Dom Perignon

Apparently he once exclaimed that it was like “drinking the stars”. Whether or not the monk who lends his name to one of the most famous champagnes actually said this we will never know, but what we do know is that Dom Perignon remains one of the most extraordinary, magical, mysterious and talked about champagnes in the world. Its label and bottle is instantly recognisable. And unlike Cristal and Armand de Brignac it's name is not associated with rappers and the hedonistic parties of Ibiza. Those in the know respect and enjoy the fine art that goes into making a bottle of Dom Perignon. Those who exclaim that it is overrated or too expensive for what it is have rarely tasted it and if they have, have usually drunk it too young.

This is the first point about Dom Perignon, it ages fantastically and in doing so exhibits gorgeous aromas of honey, vanilla and nuts. The palate is no less impressive, even more so, with brioche, toast and a wild flower freshness. Dom that has bottle aged for even as much as 30 years will often express a freshness and structure that amazes. It has an extraordinary ability to hold onto its finesse for many, many, many years.

Many have bemoaned Dom’s recent move to a more glossy and marketing obsessed vision. I don’t blame them. Dom has an incredible history that doesn’t need to be sold to rappers through ridiculous marketing photos or shiny showrooms. They produce wines of exceptional quality that do all the shouting necessary.

One interesting feature of Dom Perignon is their production of what they refer to as different Plenitudes. The production of champagne involves the liquid remaining on the ‘lees’ (dead yeast cells), in the case of Dom, for a minimum of 7 years. However, Dom Perignon often release what they refer to as a P2 or Plenitude 2 which has spent 12-15 years on the lees. This added time helps the wine to develop an even more complex flavour and aroma profile and enhances the particular characteristics of Dom.

However, not content with just P2, Dom releases an incredibly small production of what is called P3. P3 is produced in very small quantities and has spent more than 20 years on the lees. Think, MORE, because more is better. In this case, it really is better. If you ever get a chance to taste P3, do so, because at more than £1,000 a bottle, the opportunity will not come around often.

It is difficult to put my finger on precisely what makes Dom so great though. It is usually fairly close to a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay although this can change up to 60/40 in either direction depending on the vintage, but this is not unusual. They cellar the wines in perfect conditions deep below Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, but again this not unusual or special. They use only top quality grapes processed under the most stringent controls. Again, this is nothing unique to Dom Perignon. I believe that it is most likely down to a combination of these factors and the expertise they employ. The long time on the lees undoubtedly adds to the complexity of flavours as well.

If I had to put my finger on what I most love about Dom Perignon however, it would have to be the fact that it retains an extraordinary structure and elegance with a focus on the fruit working in harmony with the lees and bottle aging.

Truly great vintages that you should keep an eye out for are 1982, 1990, 1996 and 2002. Very good vintages are the 1998, 2000 and 2004. The 2005 and 2006 vintages are, in my opinion, far too young to be drunk with the 2004 only starting to mature into an approachable and satisfying champagne. My verdict is also out the 2005 generally as I am not certain it quite reaches the status of a declared vintage, at least for Dom, but perhaps some time in the bottle will change my mind.

If I had to suggest a perfect time for drinking your Dom, I would suggest waiting for its 15th birthday from vintage. After that it will continue to drink well for the next decade or even more.

Fun fact: The Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, is often credited with discovering the process by which Champagne is made. There is no evidence of this however and is far more likely to have contributed to developing its production methods and improving its quality.

Written by our Guest Blogger @beansahoy - Beans Ahoy Blog: https://beansahoy.wordpress.com/

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