Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
Dom Perignon P2/P3 Dinner
New York City
Tasted December 10, 2021 by AValdes with 521 views
Introduction
Dinner for 12 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.
Flight 1 - Warm Up (1 note)
Served during the cocktail hour with Toro Tartare miso brioche with oscietra caviar and alba white truffle
White - Sparkling
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne
92 points
(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.
6 people found this helpful
Comments (2)
Flight 2 - Young P2s (5 notes)
Norwegian king crab with avocado and oscietra caviar
White - Sparkling
2003 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
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.
White - Sparkling
2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
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.
3 people found this helpful
Comment
White - Sparkling
2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
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?
1 person found this helpful
Comments (5)
White - Sparkling
1999 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
89 points
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.
White - Sparkling
1998 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
93 points
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.
Flight 3 - The 1996s (4 notes)
Wagyu A5 Tataki, ponzu and black winter truffle. The truffles were the size of my fist. This dish was to die for.
White - Sparkling
1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
First of the 96 flight. Not offensive. Reasonable balance. Just felt mostly flat / simple. Didn't have much depth for me.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
White - Sparkling
1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque
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.
2 people found this helpful
Comment
White - Sparkling
1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
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.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Rosé - Sparkling
1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé
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.
Flight 4 - The 1995s (4 notes)
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.
White - Sparkling
1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
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.
White - Sparkling
1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque
Didn't bring it like the P1. Much more reticent and reserved. Felt like it was holding back flavor and only giving acidity.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
White - Sparkling
1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
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
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Rosé - Sparkling
1995 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé P2
95 points
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.
Flight 5 - The 1993s (4 notes)
Honey nut squash soup with crispy quinoa and langoustine.
White - Sparkling
1993 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
Simple. Fairly fresh. Not much to write home about though. A bit metallic on close.
White - Sparkling
1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque
Tight but pretty good. Not comparable to P2/P3 but didn't have the issues of the P1.
White - Sparkling
1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2
(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.
White - Sparkling
1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3
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.
Flight 6 - The 1990s (3 notes)
Warm ocean trout, green apple, vanilla and elderflower dashi. A dish inspired by Oliver's mentor. An important dish to chef and it showed.
White - Sparkling
1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
[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.
White - Sparkling
1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
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.
White - Sparkling
1990 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3
94 points
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.
Flight 7 - 80s P3 (2 notes)
Maine lobster, parsnip, poached pears and buddha's hand
White - Sparkling
1988 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3
94 points
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.
White - Sparkling
1985 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3
96 points
(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.
Flight 8 - 70s and 80s (4 notes)
Prime tenderloin with foie gras and red wine braised cabbage
White - Sparkling
1982 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
93 points
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.
White - Sparkling
1983 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
92 points
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.
White - Sparkling
1983 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3
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.
White - Sparkling
1971 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3
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.
Flight 9 - Rose Surprise (1 note)
Rosé - Sparkling
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé
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.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Closing
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.