I have been drinking Dom Pérignon occasionally for a long time, as most champagne aficionados have. Some young, some older. Now that Dom Pérignon has introduced their "Plenitude" program of P1 (initial release, 8-9 years on the lees before release), P2 (15-20 years on the lees) and P3 (30-40 years on the lees), the comparison of the vintages has become even more intriguing. I thought it might be interesting to serve a few vintages to see what these differences are. And we finished with some nice red Burgundy and Bordeaux to accompany the meatier items on the menu as well as a 1996 Yquem with dessert.
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne
The 2008 Dom Pérignon is finally coming around, just a couple of years from fully blossoming. Powerful wine, intense, strong acidity. Shows the typical ginger root flavor of Dom Pérignon. Wonderful future ahead. (93 pts.)
2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé - France, Champagne
The 2008 Rosé continues to be a delightful champagne that one guest even chose as her favorite of the lineup. Plenty of dark cherry flavor scent and flavor. Just the right amount of acid so it is refreshing but not too tart. A food wine more than an apéritif. Dom Pérignon Rosé can age extremely well yet there is no reason to delay drinking this one. (94 pts.)
2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne Andy Warhol Label - France, Champagne
The red Warhol label bottle. Strangely, the 2002 Dom Pérignon was a little moody and indistinct. And this from a bottle purchased on release. Nothing exactly off kilter yet the impression is one of a good generic mature champagne without the usual Dom Pérignon flair. Not close to the P2 version today. (91 pts.)
2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 - France, Champagne
Now this is really excellent. Much fuller and fresher than the straight vintage version. Strong acids will carry it for many years to come. Building complexity with both some oyster shell and bass notes. The usual citrus flavors are well covered by the pear and apple flavors. (95 pts.)
1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
The 1990 vintage in champagne yielded a large number of examples of terrific champagnes that were wonderful any age 10 -20 but have nearly all succumbed to slightly premature fading. Even Dom Pérignon, usually the longest lived of them all. It is not completely oxidized or spoiled but the nearly brown color lets you know there might be a problem. The flavors are chestnut and bruised apple and the acidity is not lively enough. There are better bottles of it out there but not nearly enough. (88 pts.)
1990 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
If this is a representative example, the P3 version of Dom Pérignon is truly a huge step up from the tired standard vintage. The 1990 P3 is perfectly in the zone now. Lively and intense. Still has some light foam. Citrus, nuts and yellow squash. Deeply satisfying. (96 pts.)
1982 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
Astonishing in its splendidly exotic combination of mature rye bread and fresh lemon and grapefruit flavors. This is the magic of Dom Pérignon P3. Remarkably, even a few stray bubbles escaped from there depth of the brew in the first several seconds. So much personality in every sip. Held up well in the glass, too. Fascinating to enjoy and to study. Wow. (96 pts.)
1971 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque - France, Champagne
This was the most challenging Dom Pérignon in the series. While obviously complex and interesting it somehow lacked the precision of some of the other old Dom Pérignons on the table. Perhaps slightly tiring, especially when compared with the more lively P3. (92 pts.)
1971 Dom Pérignon Champagne P3 - France, Champagne
Even with P3, you have to expect some bottle variation, even from well stored bottles. Although a bit less dazzling than a near perfect bottle from a few years ago, this one was still superb. A light caramel note was fascinating in combination with the complex tangerine and toffee flavors. Of course no bubbles have survived the 55 year journey but if you can recalibrate your palate to ancient champagne this is a great example. (95 pts.)
Many of the wines performed above expectation and only one was a true dud in a vintage (1990) in Champagne which has not aged as well as hoped at the outset. The P2 and P3 Plenitudes do seem fresher than the standard vintage, sometimes markedly so, such as the nineteen-ninety. Now whether they are worth the stiff tariff is something each person must decide for themselves. But if you do get the experience you will be rewarded. Posted from CellarTracker
Didn't Moet start the Plenitude Program around 2014? Were the P3s from 1971 and 1972 bottled only after that time, or were the bottles resting in the cellars and labelled only after the
Plenitude Program was initiated?
The "Plenitude" program was started in 2014. Prior to that, the wines aged 15-20 years were called "Oenotheque." The first vintage released as a P3 was 1959. (The first vintage of vintage Dom Pérignon was 1921, released in 1926.)
The 1971 P3 was released in 2015.
'Chaperon [the winemaker] talks of a “sapidity” that is brought about by the longer maturation on lees, a kind of minerality, alongside what he also calls aromatic length. “The first plenitude is always around 6-8 years when the wine finds harmony,” he says, “the second plenitude is about energy and we decide to release when the energy appears in the wine, energy through the finish, born of tension between freshness and maturity. The third plenitude is a stage in which maximum complexity is sought, very concentrated, with the most wisdom but with less energy.”'
I’m not sure i ever saw a P2 or P3 bottle, but look delicious.
The basic Dom Pérignon is a Champagne i like very much. The 1995, 1996, 2003, 2008 and 2013 have all been great to me. Just 2012 was a bitter sweeter so giving more young but less serious freshness.
Last edited by Nicklasss on Wed Apr 22, 2026 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Dom Perignon is a champagne that hits the sweet spot for me almost every time. We had the 2015 Dom with Stuart in Fort Lauderdale this winter and I thought it was lovely. Stuart has uncorked some great Doms over the years. The 1996 Dom that Winona brought to my house and that we sipped on the back deck on a late summer afternoon was very memorable.
Yes, I was surprised how delicious and drinkable that 2015 Dom was a few months ago. Not "mature" of course but very approachable and lacking the firm austerity previous older vintages showed. I wonder if there has been a stylistic change at Dom or if it is a characteristic of the 2015 vintage.
Very fun read. I’ve had very little experience with the Oenotheque and P2. Never tried a P3. When comparing to the original releases, do you think the P2 and P3 have an additional advantage of perfect storage?
DavidG wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2026 4:07 am
When comparing to the original releases, do you think the P2 and P3 have an additional advantage of perfect storage?
Yes, I do. The combination of perfect storage and additional time on the lees makes a lot of difference.
