Dom Perignon is unique in that a proportion of every vintage is retained and aged within the cellars. This allows each new generation of winemakers to taste older vintages, to understand the history of wine, to ensure greater consistency of style and to observe how each vintage develops and matures with age. The cellar area dedicated to the storage of these older vintage wines is called OEnotheque (or, as the French say "en 'o' teque") which means 'Wine Library'. Dom Perignon peaks at three distinct times during its life cycle, although the timing of the peaks may ary from vintage to vintage. The first peak ('phase de plenitude' in French) at about seven years, is the stage when the wine is at its most vibrant and the majority of the vintage is released into the market. The second peak usually occurs between fourteen and twenty years and is the stage when the wine takes on greater depth and vigour. The third, from 25 years onwards, is when the wine reaches full maturity and takes on an extra dimension of complexity.