The colour is medium gold, with a fine perlage. On the nose citrusy notes of pink grapefruit, blood oranges, peaches, pastry cream, buttered toast. In the mouth elegant, very tasty, charming and succulent. The aftertaste is long.
Dom Pérignon exclusively makes champagne with grapes from a single year. There are some vintages that show extra potential and can benefit from extra time to age and mature. That’s the idea behind Dom Pérignon’s Plénitudes series.
The Plénitude concept has been years in development. After studying the natural course of ageing that vintage champagne seems to undertake, the winemaking team found that, rather than improving steadily and linearly (as is the case with many wines), Dom Pérignon develops and matures through three defined stages.
The first release (P1) comes approximately 8 years after the harvest and is the style that most consumers are familiar with. The second stage (P2) takes roughly 15 years, during which the cuvée takes a profound leap to a new quality level, where it will plateau for many years in terms of improvement. Finally, the third Plénitude (P3) will see the champagne ageing another 20-30 years until it reaches its ultimate peak.
The first plenitude is when the wine finds harmony. The second plenitude is about energy. The third plenitude is a stage in which maximum complexity is sought.
Initially these mature vintages were made available under a limited release called “Oenothèque” but in 2014 were re-branded as “Plénitude”.
While the 2004 vintage was released in 2013, its sister bottling, the Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2, was kept behind in the cellars to continue maturing on the lees for a full 17 years. Disgorgement was in September 2021.
Plénitude P2 2004 is a blend of 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay grapes. They all come from Grand & Premier Cru vineyards.
For this bottle I paid 430 CHF online at millesima.ch
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Type: Sparkling
Vintage: 2004
Producer: Dom Pérignon
Price range: Luxury (>100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 5/5