A Dom Perignon Dinner for the Ages

DOM PERIGNON P2/P3 DINNER - New York City (12/10/2021)

Dinner for 14 at a friend’s residence. An evening exquisitely produced with the singular goal of honoring these exceptional wines. The wines all came from the attendees private cellars making it an evening of not just great wine and great food, but of sharing.

While the wine was the focus of the evening, I cannot say enough about the food. It was magnificent. Zuma’s executive chef Oliver Lange oversaw the execution of a menu that had the guests licking their plates. The ingredients and ingenuity combined perfectly.

Warm Up
Served during the cocktail hour with Toro Tartare miso brioche with oscietra caviar and alba white truffle

• 2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne
  (En Jero) Only a single glass. A great way to start the evening. I’ve had this in 750 on a couple occasions and found it zippy and not as astringent as I find other young, quality champagne. Here I feel the format made a difference - it had good energy like the 750 but a rounder quality making it easier to drink. (92 pts.)

Young P2s
Norwegian king crab with avocado and oscietra caviar

• 2003 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  Young but subtle. Easy to drink. While it doesn’t come across as having the structure to last 40 years (like most of the evening’s wines) it was pretty good right now.
• 2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  Similar to the 2003, the 2002 P2 is drinking quite young but, unlike its brother, it has broader shoulders and, as such, hints to a much brighter future. Nice to check in on this wine but don’t open one, hoping for greatness, for a long time.
• 2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  if you like your champagne giving way to a little oxidation, turning its color a bit more golden and the flavors approaching a bit more nutty, then you will like this now. I found it way too advanced for its age and it seemed to be not getting their too gracefully. It was enjoyable to drink but I don’t think it has a ton of time left. Maybe it was the bottle?
• 1999 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  Reasonable fruit. A bit more savory for me. Brooding a bit. Not as deep as the rest of the wine in the flight. My least favorite. Some others at the table loved this. Different strokes I guess. (89 pts.)
• 1998 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  Speaks to a different era and reached another level next to other similarly young champagne. My clear favorite of the flight. Showed some of the nutty flavors I adore in aged champagne, but showing in an age appropriate way. I think this will be a knock out in a decade. (93 pts.)

The 1996s
Wagyu A5 Tataki, ponzu and black winter truffle. The truffles were the size of my fist. This dish was to die for.

• 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
  First of the 96 flight. Not offensive. Reasonable balance. Just felt mostly flat / simple. Didn’t have much depth for me.
• 1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque - France, Champagne
  My personal favorite of the 96 flight. Where the P1, for me, didn’t show depth or complexity, I found the Oenotheque did. It didn’t have the flavors of hte 98 P2 I like but was delicious in it’s own way. This wine didn’t have a lot of power (consistent across the 96s). For a vintage that got a lot of hype, it was my least favorite vintage grouping.
• 1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  Served too cold. As it warmed, it started to give way to more of the wine. The nose was incredible from the start but, from the jump, the wine was tight and fizzy. I needed to give this more time than I could afford. I would try this again.
• 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé - France, Champagne
  It is in a good place, though I found it a bit austere and, in a way, a bit more of a still wine. A good foil to the blancs and good to drink, but didn’t pull me in.

The 1995s
Marble potato mousseline, shimeji mushroom with alba white truffle and aged tofu. The aged tofu is a replacement for cheese - it was grated on the dish like a parmesan cheese. Not only ingenious but delicious too.

• 1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
  Best of the 95 blancs (relative to oenotheque and p2). A wine that wants you to drink it. I am a sucker for those oxidative notes but it had verve so more of a feature than a bug.
• 1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque - France, Champagne
  Didn’t bring it like the P1. Much more reticent and reserved. Felt like it was holding back flavor and only giving acidity.
• 1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  On the attack this was a bit of a mystery. Came out of the glass almost neutral. On the palate it had good weight, showing its pedigree and was pleasant but just felt unopen. Needs a lot more time to get you past the very nice waiting room
• 1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé P2 - France, Champagne
  Another level against the 95 blancs as well as the 96 rose. Very classy stuff. It is a velvet hammer with an exotic magnetism you cannot escape. A wonderful achievement. (95 pts.)

The 1993s
Honey nut squash soup with crispy quinoa and langoustine.

• 1993 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
  Simple. Fairly fresh. Not much to write home about though. A bit metallic on close.
• 1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque - France, Champagne
  Tight but pretty good. Not comparable to P2/P3 but didn’t have the issues of the P1.
• 1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
  (En Mag) My favorite of the 1993 flight. The format really shined here. Was this young? Absolutely. This will be ready in 2051. Was this enjoyable? Absolutely. I got a lot out of this bottle even if it did like the patina I so enjoy on older champagne.
• 1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
  First P3 of the night. It was subtle and restrained but not closed or tight. Very nice weight and hinted at loads of complexity. It possesses a nice texture.

The 1990s
Warm ocean trout, green apple, vanilla and elderflower dashi. A dish inspired by Oliver’s mentor. An important dish to chef and it showed.

• 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
  [No real notes here] The 90 felt like a tick up in brightness and playfulness. Up to now, age has equaled more depth but the 90 bucks that trend. I was looking for something more substantial but didn’t get it here. Might have enjoyed more without food.
• 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque - France, Champagne
  I thought this had more going for it than the P1. A little more age showing in the glass. The flavors more aligned with my preferences. Generally good.
• 1990 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
  Second P3 of the evening. Totally unique. Very different than the other 90s and the other P3s we had. It had a bit of funk to it George Clinton would be drawn to (a guest commented it was almost ganja like). In a sea of great champagne this stood out, taking a bold risk and delivering enjoyment. (94 pts.)

80s P3
Maine lobster, parsnip, poached pears and buddha’s hand

• 1988 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
  I had 88 P1 a couple weeks ago and it was so giving and delicious. The P3 has so much to offer and is seriously good right now, but I would wait a long time to open. What was instructive, after opening so much wonderful DP before trying this wine, is just how clear P3 can separate itself in terms of quality. The texture and weight are just clearly better than their cousins. A triumph. (94 pts.)
• 1985 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
  (En Mag) This is amazing stuff with many many years ahead of it. It didn’t have the almost drug-like qualities of the 1990 P3, it just showed a very high level of balance in flavors, fruit and acid. Had a nice little edge to it, like a fresh croissant with a golden brown edge. (96 pts.)

70s and 80s
Prime tenderloin with foie gras and red wine braised cabbage

• 1982 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque - France, Champagne
  I love 82 P1 so I was very excited to taste this wine. Unfortunately, I was tasting after a marathon of DP so my ability to enjoy wasn’t at peak. Regardless, this was just great. All of the parts of the P1 I love and enhanced a bit. It had the nuttiness, those delicious oxidative notes, the integrated effervescence. Finally a wine ready to drink. (93 pts.)
• 1983 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque - France, Champagne
  A touch behind the 82 but still very good. What a duo. Where the 82 showed a bit sweeter, the 83 showed a bit earthier. Great compliments to one another. (92 pts.)
• 1983 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
  Unfortunately, I don’t recall this wine that well. I have a stronger recollection of the 83 Oenotheque next to it - felt like it had more of a point of view. The P3 just showed a bit more inert. Had a nice lanolin like coating to it. Went down smooth.
• 1971 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
  Second time having this wine in 2 weeks (a strange coincidence). Even though at this tasting it came after a lot of great wine, my recent tasting had a similar feeling: you know you are drinking great champagne (not just intellectually but you can taste the quality) but it didn’t give that much. Felt like it might have been shut down. Has a lot of potential and very good at the moment, but you can’t ignore the potential.

Rose Surprise

• 2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé - France, Champagne
  Pre-commercial Release tasting treat. Very enjoyable now (relative to other young DP rose). Made with far less still wine than normal, this Rose showed a leanness that is welcome. I am curious how it will ago.

By the end of the evening my ability to taste well dove dramatically. In retrospect I wish it was a lunch then a dinner so I could recover a bit more. Regardless, this was a fun, fun, fun evening and I will never forget it.

Wow awesome TN, sounds wonderful

Well done Alex. I had an 08 DP mag today and totally agree it’s drinking way better than the 750s I’ve had recently. Much more open and round like you say.

Yeah I agree, the mag we opened in august was great. 164 in mag not so much.

Great notes. Sounds like a fantastic time!

Amazing lineup. I know that 28 bottles for 12 guys would put me out of action for days!

…and for fun there were 4 blind reds at the end. I was gassed by then.

Hang out with Todd, Meats, Jorge and Kane, that’s about the right ratio! Then we move to the whiskey.

What an extraordinary tasting, Alex! Thanks for sharing that evening and a note with us. I have never seen a bottle of the P3, but has been joyed a couple of bottles of the P2 this year, excellent stuff.

Sounds like an amazing experience, and amazing friend with quite a cellar of DP!

It absolutely was. She did an excellent job ensuring we all brought bottles that fit the vision for the evening.

Haha well it required a strong constitution, that’s for sure.

Similarly Robert, my experience with P3 was basically zero before the dinner. It helpful to try a few in this format to try and place it in their line up.

I think my biggest takeaway from the evening is how much I like Oenotheque. Many of the bottles were just delicious, especially 82 and 83.

I saw a picture of the entire lineup posted and IG and the first thing that came to my mind was Epic. Interesting to see how well the '85 P3 performed. I bought multiple cases of 750’s and magnums of the '85 original release at a Zachy’s auction over 10 years ago and those bottles were all great. It was such an under-appreciated wine at the time. After they were all gone I tried buying some more of both formats at auction, but none of those were stored as well as my original purchase and it showed.

For us champagne amateurs, what is the difference between the Oenotheque and P1?

Had nearly the same Q, but between Oenotheque and P2.

(I assumed P1 was a shorthand for the “normal” release.)

Oenotheque is the facility where Dom Perignon does extended aging of its wines. Prior to the 1998 vintage, all of the late release wines were referred to as Oenotheque. For the 1998 vintage they decided to refer to the wines by their release window (known as Plenitudes). The first release, which is the first plenitude or P1 for short, is the standard offer. P2 is the late release, typically on the lees for 12-15 years. P3 remains on the lees for at least 20 years if not more.

Excellent, Alex!

so there was a 96 Oenoteque and a 96 P2? Never seen the latter. How is it different re lees time?

My understanding is bottles released prior to 2014 are labeled “Oenotheque” while those released after carry the P2 moniker. I think the first 96 late release was in 2010? Something like that. Anyway, it was before 2014 so it was labeled Oenotheque. Bottles released after 2014 are labeled P2.

I believe the P2 vintages are: 93, 95, 96, 98, 99, 00, 02, 03

I believe the Oenotheque vintages are: 59, 62, 64, 66, 69, 70, 71, 73, 75, 76, 80, 82, 83, 85, 88, 90, 92, 93, 95, 96

There was a '95 Oeno that preceded the '96 and it had '05 and '06 disgorgements and the latter was stellar. I was pumped for the '96 Oeno because I missed the boat on buying the original release so I figured this was going to be my chance to get a bunch of great drinking, pristine bottles of '96 vintage on release. The first time I had it was at a wine guys weekend getaway and none of us cared for it. We all assumed it was just young so I was not concerned that I had ordered a bunch. They were packed in a black painted 6-pack OWC’s that had 2 hinged “doors” on the top held closed with magnets (why not cardboard boxes?). I believe they were '08 disgorgements and DP was clear at the time that this would be the only disgorgement of '96 Oeno (this was before the “P” program existed). This wine never really did it for me. My expectations were high especially after the great bottles of '95 Oeno and '96 original release I had so maybe that was part of the problem. The best bottle I had was when it was served with a sea urchin sauce - a great pairing. The 2nd best bottle I had was at a dinner where the DP Brand Ambassador brought a bottle with a different disgorgement date, I believe it was '13. It was not unusual for DP to do one-off disgorgements for them to use at events and this was never commercially released. I drank maybe a 1/3 of what I bought and sold the rest.