Dom Pérignon is only available as a vintage champagne and is only produced in exceptional years. Each vintage is a creation, singular and unique, that expresses both the character of the year, and the character of Dom Pérignon. After at least eight years of lees ageing in the cellars, the wine enters its first phase of interest, Plenitude 1, showing quite youthful fruit and broad texture from the lees contact. The signature Dom Pérignon aromatic is that "hint smoky" character a result of the reductive winemaking where they go to extreme lengths to keep each step of the winemaking process free of oxygen. With every sip of Dom Perignon you always have that purity of fruit character, depending on the vintage you normally see the Pinot Noir fruit dominate, which are those red fruits like raspberry, peach and dark cherry. The Chardonnay adds a supporting layer of chalky texture and delicious fruit in the yellow spectrum like plum, apple and tropical notes of pineapple.

The Plénitude (originally Oenothèque) concept has been years in development at Dom Pérignon. After studying the natural course of ageing that vintage champagne seems to undertake, the winemaking team found that, rather than improving steadily and linearly (as is the case with many wines), it develops and matures through three defined stages in its life.

The first release (P1) comes approximately 8 years after the harvest and is the style that most consumers are familiar with. The second stage (P2) takes roughly 15 years, during which time the cuvée takes a profound leap to a new quality level where it will plateau for many years in terms of improvement. Finally, the third Plénitude (P3) will see the champagne ageing another 20-30 years until it reaches its ultimate peak. Initially these mature vintages were made available under limited release called “Oenothèque” but were re-branded in 2014 as “Plénitude”. Read more about the Plénitude concept here.

Weather: The 1993 season saw a summer of great length and a difficult combination of dry and warm conditions. As a first release back in 2000, Dom Pérignon 1993 (P1) was a youthful and vibrant vintage with subtle hints of lemon and lime. After an additional fifteen years on the lees in Dom Pérignon's famous cellars in Épernay, the fruit has come confidently forward, adding new layers of development and a delightfully mature character to an already complex champagne.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru
Grape Varieties: 55% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir
Ageing: 21 years on the lees
Disgorged: 2015
Dosage: 5.5 g/l
Drink: Now to 2045+

Tasting Note: Hints of dried herbs, candied grapefruit and lemon on the nose. Spicy cinnamon notes show through on the palate, complimented by flavours of freshly cooked biscuits and raisin. This is a dense champagne with an abundance of flavour and development. Its finesse draws out for some time with a long lingering finish full of fresh fruits and nicely balanced acidity. There is still no rush to drink this champagne - if stored correctly it will continue to develop for many years to come.

Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 - P2 1993 is presented in a high-quality metalled Dom Pérignon gift box (as shown in the bottom left picture). This is an exceptionally rare champagne and The Finest Bubble are one of just a handful of retailers lucky enough to secure stock of this late-release cuvée.