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. Originally released after eight years on the lees, Dom Pérignon Rosé 1995 had very expressive black fruit flavour. Now after over sixteen years on the lees, Dom Perignon Rosé P2 1995 is softer and creamier than the first release.

Wine Competition Trophies:
The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships 2016 - World Champion Library Vintage

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru
Grape Varieties: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay | inc. 20% Red Wine
Lees Ageing: 16 years
Dosage: 6.5 g/l
Drink: Now to 2029

Tasting Note: On the nose, this is fruity and complex with hints of red berries leading to a palate of cranberry, mint and a hint of cinnamon spice. The flavours linger long after the finish and the added time on the lees has created a superb rosé that is balanced beautifully and still youthful even at twenty years of age - a hallmark of P2. The extra lees ageing seems to have enhanced the red berry fruit flavour, with further layers of complexity coming from the yeasty character. All in all, this is a powerhouse rosé that is still tasting so young.

Dom Pérignon Rosé Plénitude 2 - P2 1995 is presented in a high-quality metalled Dom Pérignon gift box (as shown in the pictures 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.