My Date with Dom Pérignon – 10:00AM on a Thursday
My Thursdays usually don’t start with vintage Champagne. Truth be told, these special bottles are generally saved for “occasion” days (E.g.,birthdays, anniversaries, or hitting your goal weight on some random weekend without going to the gym). However, sometimes the stars align and you’re sitting across from the U.S. Brand Ambassador for Dom Pérignon and a lineup of the 2009 vintage, 2000 P2, and 2005 Rosé.
We started with a brief history of Dom Pérignon and how the wine graced the tables of Louis XIV’s royal court, was one of the first white wines to be made with red grapes, and how, as a producer, they pioneered some of today’s most regimented vineyard practices. With that said, it was time to dive in. So, how does a 2009 Vintage bottle of Dom taste? Well, first we should visit a few structural aspects as to how the wine is produced. The 2009 Vintage only uses Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from the best vineyards in Champagne. It’s also very regulated in the aging process. A true Vintage Champagne must be aged on the lees for at least three years. Dom Pérignon averages nine. On the nose, the wine had a great balance of earth, spice, light citrus and a touch of minerality. On the palate, these aspects were present with the addition of a touch of stone fruit. On the finish there were bright notes and a subtle hint of almond. Complex and integrated. We were off to a delightful start.
The 2000 P2 was on deck. Basically, P2 is Dom Pérignon’s higher tier that constitutes a very small percentage of Dom’s total production. Darker and more concentrated in color, the fact that this Champagne has aged beautifully over 18 years was strikingly apparent in the glass. Definitely more toasty and brioche-like on the front with a rounded and layered mid-palate, it had plenty of effervescence, but the bubbles didn’t overwhelm the other aspects of the longer finish. This gave an overall creamy and balanced weight to the structure.
Finally, we opened the 2005 Rosé. It’s at this point that our host mentions it pairs beautifully with a bison cheeseburger, which serves as a humorous and unintended reminder that I’m obviously on the wrong side of this business. Now, I’ve had my fair share of bison cheeseburgers with Cremant D’Alsace Rosé, Cremant de Limoux Rosé and even Rosé Cavas, but sadly, never the Dom Pérignon 2005 Rosé. Moving onward, this unfortunate fact should not overshadow the lovely intonation of the wine. Slightly more round red fruit and sous bois aromas on the nose, it also had a delicate cleanliness while maintaining a supple balance. These characteristics followed through on the palate with the uplifting nature of a sparkling and the complexity of what one might expect of a Burgundian Pinot Noir.
All in all, not a bad way to start a Thursday. Well played, Dom Pérignon. Well played.
