TN: Dom Perignon 1988

WINE TALK
1

I had the pleasure of sharing this today with my dear friend, predecessor, and teacher. The bottle was passed on to me by a very generous friend, formerly ITB. Before me, it was passed on to him by a friend that received it as a corporate gift (or something like that) but never drank it, so it sat who knows where in their house from around release until sometime in the past year. Apparently they weren’t sure if it would still be worth drinking. My friend knows that I enjoy tasting old curiosities, so I ended up the lucky beneficiary of the tale.

Whatever the storage conditions were, it turned out very well indeed (consistent with some of the better notes on CT).

Moet et Chandon, Cuvee Dom Perignon, Champagne 1988
My first Dom Perignon, and the oldest Champagne I’ve tasted. Lovely golden / honey color. Wonderful nose of honey, shortbread, fresh raspberry jam, orange peel, and a hint of stone fruits, all with lovely mature notes of toffee, hazelnut (very abundant on the second pour) and fruitcake providing excellent depth, and with a touch of the pleasant sherry-like notes. On the palate, still fresh notes of peach and pear / apple, a hint of honey, then lots of orange and raspberry (alternatively, blood orange), then caramel and fruitcake creating a wonderful mature texture, and finally an excellent, long, lively, honeyed finish driven by sweet, slightly tart orange and some sherry-like notes. Full bodied and dense, with extraordinary depth; wonderful, compelling texture, honeyed and rich but also sweet-tart and penetrating, and with and underlying minerality; long and very satisfying (to the very last sip). The bubbles are no longer vigorous, but very much present (to the end of the bottle), very fine and delicate, and contribute a nice creaminess to the texture. The quality and depth are extraordinary; those who enjoy mature Champagne will be very happy. A wonderful experience. Drink now. 4.5 Stars [6/6/18]

2

Congratulations for the note which is as precise as an autopsy.
1988 is a great year and Dom Pérignon made a great champagne which I have drunk 10 times.

My only comment is on the last words : “Drink now”. I do not know your age but I am sure that your grandchildren will be able to drink this champagne when they will be grandparents. Such champagnes have no limit in time. Their taste evolves but they continue to be great.

Congratulations for the nice story of this bottle, which shows that champagnes are so solid that they can survive after imperfect or uncertain storage.

3

Thanks for your kind feedback Francois! Regarding evaluation to “drink now,” it is entirely possible that this bottle was more evolved than others, not having been well stored. Certainly this bottle had the structure to age longer, but for my palate, that sherry-like note might throw off the balance if it were to become more prominent. So my conservative evaluation, not being quite sure where it might go from here, was to drink it soon, so as to experience it in the lovely state that I found it. But certainly, it was not going to die anytime soon, and I would be thrilled if given the chance to taste it again in 10 years, to see where it goes.