Good afternoon all,
To my happy surprise, I was invited to taste the upcoming releases of Dom Perignon today. Following are my sincere impressions, but in the interests of disclosure these samples were given to me, and so these are TNs in an ITB context versus the norm where I am opening my own bottles.
Bottles opened approximately 2 hours prior to tasting,
2012 Dom Perignon
light champagne color, generous well-rounded nose of citrus, marshmallow and walnuts, slightly sweet throughout- but not to the levels of 02 or 06, on the palate quite a contrasting impression- quite dry and racy throughout, up front a lovely open primary citrus fruit with just a hint of dark berries leading to a heavily mineral bridge with saline notes over the substantial but reluctant mid-palate and finally a long lean finish with an exceptionally fragrant aftertaste, I would not describe it as disjointed because it is a very attractive drink and pristinely balanced- but at this early stage there are a number of exciting elements each doing their own thing to some extent, a plethora of interesting elements that add up to a great Dom- but need a little time to harmonize, overall I would call this well-rounded but not necessarily classic just yet, it defies any attempt to closely compare it to prior vintages, for my part I would call it a slightly bigger and more exciting version of the 2004 with just a touch of the sweetness of 2002 plus dark fruit and mineral elements that are quite singular in terms of the potency of the presence, despite being a bit all over the map at present- this grows on you, not only for the great potential that is obviously there but for the indications it will be a more unique path than usual, this needs time to settle down a bit but I do think it will be in its prime well before the 2008 while having a similarly positive outlook for great longevity, time will tell, but I am already confident stating this belongs in the very top tier along with 1982, 1985, 1996 and 2008.
(*****), 2027++
2003 Dom Perignon P2
light lemon color just starting to deepen, on the nose pronounced notes of roasted walnuts and dark ripe fruit, on the palate this is surely the sweetest Dom Perignon I have ever had but now it is fully integrated/resolved with a rich and succulent cream reminiscent of the great 1982 when it got to be about 30 years old, rich ripe fruit throughout with smoky tones, marshmallow and walnut notes are dominant with an almost venison-like roasted quality around the edges- but all leading into that wonderful decadent cream note that admirably coats the acids on the finish, as with the 2000 P2 this is a serious step up from how the wine performed at release, and it remains unique courtesy of the extremes of the vintage, there is serious weight and heft here but the wine in this stage is at a good maturity point, where the 2002 P2 tasted last week still needs another 10 years IMHO- the P2 version of the 2003, as with the 2000, has come along at an ideal point in the wine’s evolution.
***+, now to 2033+