To taste Dom Perignon is to discover the unique spirit and style of a truly great wine of Champagne. Every stage of vineyard selection, winemaking and slow cellar aging is, in itself, a quest for perfection. Cuvee Dom Perignon is made only in exceptional vintage years from two grape varieties from the Champagne region, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The grapes are picked from the very best crus among the oldest and best exposed sites of the region. On the nose, this wine opens with notes of red-fleshed peaches, rapidly evolving into cashew nuts and dried herbs. The aromatic experience finishes on a note of lightly toasted brioche. On the palate, it offers a host of well-orchestrated, precise and full-bodied tastes. The initial density becomes creamy, while the long finish ends on a note of glazed citrus fruit. The unique Dom Perignon style: a rich creamy mousse, fine bubbles, a spirited, crisp opening leading into a broad palette of aromas and tastes, the delicacy of substance itself. Each Cuvee Dom Perignon is cellar-aged for 6 to 8 years.

Rating: 93(+?) - As reviewed by International Wine Cellar in Issue 81, November/December 1998. Pale color. Youthful aromas of lemon, quince, pear, toast, spice, chalk and red berries. Big, sweet and seamless, if a bit clenched in the early going. A powerful, very young wine whose fruit builds slowly in the mouth and explodes on the finish. A charry note contributes to its complexity. Possesses amazing depth of fruit, but the high quality of this wine can most easily be seen today on the extraordinary finish. May ultimately merit a 95+ rating.

Rating: 0/5 - As reviewed by Decanter. If you can't wait for the 1988 to reach its peak, try a magnum of the 1990. According to Stevenson, the standard 75cl bottle of 1990 can show traces of greenness, but in magnum, it has a 'fabulous purity of ripe fruit and an immaculate mousse'.

Rating for France-Champagne: 96 (excellent)<br/><br/>Drinkability: drink now<br/>

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