Dom Perignon Champagne P2 Plenitude 2006 750ml

A blonde bombshell of a Champagne, hedonistic with its alluring brioche, creamed cherry and glazed tangerine flavors that show embellishments of fragrant saffron, candied ginger, fennel seed and vanilla, yet there's lovely definition and focus via the racy, lemon-infused acidity and plush texture. Long and minerally on the finish, with the rich profile joined by a subtle undertow of smoke, oyster shell and brine. Drink now through 2040. From France.

The 2006 Dom Pérignon P2 is a Champagne of power and substance. All the solar intensity of the year comes through. Apricot, baked apple tart, white flowers, spice, marzipan and tangerine peel stain the palate. The 2006 possesses tremendous punch, while also showing the first signs of aromatic development consistent with a 20-year-old Champagne.

The 2006 Dom Pérignon Ple?nitude 2, disgorged in early 2023 with a dosage of five grams per liter, is showing beautifully today. It wafts from the glass with a deep bouquet of toasted hazelnut, tangerine, peach and dried flowers, mingling with wheat toast, mocha and subtle inflections of passion fruit, all framed by a smoky reduction. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and ample yet vibrant, with a generous core of fruit, ripe but lively acids and a pinpoint mousse. It concludes with a long, delicately phenolic finish in which attractive aromatic bitters assert themselves. This is a charming vintage that has often been overlooked, yet in its P2 iteration, it is considerably less evolved today than some might assume, also presenting drier and more aromatically defined than the original release. It delivers the structural presence one associates with the season while also offering appreciable cut—and it is also a wine that can age. It is less nakedly chalky than the 2008 Plénitude 2, yet it remains appealing in its own distinct register.

A fully evolved and toasted Champagne. Notes of cotton candy, walnuts, yogurt and a lot of white chocolate with lemon zest vibrancy and a touch of pineapple at the core. Whiffs of minerals and lime tree. A full body with zesty acidity, fine pinprick bubbles, super elegant extraction and a juicy finish. Drinkable now, but can hold.

The P2 late-release concept does seem to work wonders with riper, heavier vintages, and 2006 is no exception. The sheer fruitiness of orange confit, juicy stone fruit, mango and roasted citrus has quietened a little into an integrated, honeyed and voluptuous whole, marked with ground coffee and baklava decadence of age yet held in check with a bitter citric snap, charry smokiness and a lick of tannic firmness rather than acidity. It’s a joyous, complex and expansive P2 which will give its best over the next five years.