Back in Dec '07 I was lucky enough to attend a
vertical tasting of Dom
Perignon at Vintners Hall, organised by the Institute of Masters of Wine and
hosted by DP's Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy.
DP was minimal, I was about to embark on a trip to Champagne to visit small
growers so these wines would be an excellent benchmark for my subsequent
tastings.
Geoffroy was coy about yields and volume of production perhaps, because, like
many of the Grands Maisons, he feels slightly embarrassed about it. Yields in
Champagne are notoriously high - 80 hectolitres / hectare is common for many
wines. However, he was keen to stress that all grapes for DP are estate grown
and Grand Cru - which somewhat contradicts Richard Juhlin in his weighty tome '4,000
Champagnes' which states that some Chardonnay is sourced from the Union
Champagne co-op in Avize.
1999 Dom Perignon
Already quite complex on the nose. Strong minerality. Rich in white flowers. Quite delicate on the palate. Minerality and green fruits linger. Acidity med - med/high. Quite a rich mouthfeel. Palate feels rather dry and builds up with a savoury finish. Seamless and elegant. Already drinking surprisingly well. 52% Pinot Noir 48% Chardonnay.
1996 Dom Perignon Rose
Delicate copper colour. Earthy nose. Minerality taking a back stage. Fruit is slightly subdued. Elegance of Chardonnay still dominates, vaguely floral, vaguely strawberry. Very subtle. Palate brings out some minerality. Lots of pear and green apple. Really appley, but not tart nor overly malic. Acidity is med high and feels more classic than the 1999. Seriously top drawer. 55% Pinot 45% Chardonnay.
1990 Dom Perignon Rose (Magnum)
Pale copper. Bouquet more developed showing more Pinot. Scents of tobacco, undergrowth with little traces of perfume. Bay and leather. Such a delicate palate, showing signs of mature, complex flavours. Crispness and delicacy of Chardonnay. Perfect balance and delicacy, crispness and a little savouriness from the Pinot with touches of redcurrants and mineral finish. Only just getting into its stride. Lovely.
1985 Dom Perignon Rose (magnum)
Colour a little more delevoped than 1990. Fruit and flowers dominate the nose which is broad and masculine. Palate is delicate and crisp with flavours of red apples tinged with cinnamon. Big mouthfeel with acidity quite high keeping the palate fresh and delicate.
1993 Dom Perignon (Disgorged 1999)
Pale colour still lively palate. Highly mineral - chalky.Feminine palate. Pears. Mouthfeel much subdued and feels almost Blancs de Blanc. 9 grams of dosage.
1993 Dom Perignon Oenotheque (disgorged 2006)
Interesting to taste this alongside the regular DP of the same vintage. Longer on the lees and less dosage at 5-6 grams/litre. Nose broader than above - hawthorn and acacia. Green apple dominates the palate with mouthfeel somewhat more generous. I don't think either of these are particularly great DPs.
1976 Dom Perignon Oenotheque (disgorged 1999)
23 years on its lees, I was looking forward to this. Good colour, just starting to go slightly gold. Nose is earthy, nutty, figgy, also candied fruits and marzipan. Rich mouthfeel, big presence on the palate and rather concentrated. Open and broad palate, long and persistent. Acidity feels more medium but this could be a result of such expansive body on the palate. Powdery finish.
1975 Dom Perignon Oenotheque (disgorged 2004)
Highly complex nose: perfume, coconut, patisserie, floral, vanilla. Has the depth and minerality of top end white Burgundy. Palate has some earthiness (woodsy). High acidity. Palate very Chardonnay, touches of hawthorn with an agreeable bitterness. Amazingly fresh considering the age. Scintillating.
1973 Dom Perignon Oenotheque (disgorged 2006)
Nose quite mature and developed, but lots of persistent fruit - edging towards marzipan, salty and chalky with some dark berries. Less fragrant than 1975. Palate feels dry and the acidity is tame. Marzipan lingers on the finish. Finish is really long and delicate and is the best thing about this wine. A mild disappointment after the '75
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