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.

Also known as Dom Pérignon Gold or simply Gold Réserve, this extra special champagne is a stand-alone series in the Dom Pérignon range released for the Japanese Market only. Branded as an ultra-deluxe product, it undergoes twenty years of extended ageing on the lees - longer than the ageing of Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2. It is unknown how many bottles of this rare vintage have been produced but they are extremely scarce. The bottle shown in the picture is No. 2259.

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: 12 g/l
Drink: Now to 2036

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 Réserve de l'Abbaye 1993 is presented in a beautifully branded wooden gift box (as shown in the pictures on the left).