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 1995 harvest was a large crop and shared similar characteristics with the renowned 1998. Following four consecutive years of tough growing conditions, 1995 came as a huge relief to the region - the first universally declared vintage since 1990. The summer was mainly hot, with some showers a few weeks before the harvest. As a first release back in 2002, Dom Pérignon 1995 (P1) had such great depth and balance with incredibly ripe fruits. Now, over twenty years since bottling, the second release 1995 P2 has flavours of incredibly complex, rich and concentrated fruits.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru
Grape Varieties: 55% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir
Ageing: 19 years on the lees
Disgorged: 2015
Dosage: 6 g/l
Drink: Now to 2038

Tasting Note: On the nose, a fresh bouquet of fruits combines with hints of rye, praline and smoke. On the palate hints of toasted brioche, smooth and very balanced, this champagne has abundance of apple and hints of spice. The finish is incredibly long and full of vibrancy.

Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 - P2 1995 is presented in a high-quality metalled Dom Pérignon gift box (as shown in the picture on the left). 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.