Dom Perignon Champagne P2 Plenitude 2008 750ml

The 2008 Dom Pérignon P2 is a stunning, riveting wine. Bright, crystalline and focused, the 2008 dazzles from start to finish. Crushed rocks, slate, mint, dried herbs, lemon oil and oyster shell sizzle with tension. A Champagne of linear focus and cut, the 2008 is absolutely stunning. The original release of the 2008 was a total knockout; now, some years later, the P2 edition takes all of its inherent qualities and amplifies them, while also adding new layers of complexity. This is unforgettably profound.

A statuesque Champagne, with a creamy viscosity to the mousse as it wraps around a frame of chiseled acidity. Crème de cassis, grilled Macadamia nut, warm fig, tangerine peel, pastry cream and candied ginger notes are a rich and finely-detailed weave of flavor that glides across the palate. A beauty, echoing fruit, spice and pastry notes and an underlying streak of salinity on the long, long finish. Drink now through 2048.

The extra seven years of ageing on lees under cork versus the original Dom Pérignon 2008 release has wrapped up all the year's innate tension and brightness in an unabashedly decadent, enveloping richnnes of toasted nuts, fresh dough and gentle oyster cream, although the precision and integrity of the vintage is absolutely present, too. There are beautiful aromas of pure red strawberry and bergamot with some darker mocha notes emerging, both Chardonnay linearity and a surprisingly fragrant Pinot finding a perfect equilibrium. The palate carries the buzzing acidity of 2008 on a time-softened, ultra-silky mousse, with new details of umami savour tucked in subtly to the overall impression of glacial freshness. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the reputation of the original release, this is among the most memorable and energetic of the Plénitude releases made since the programme of late releases took the name in 2014.

A wine I’m inclined to call “long-range,” the 2008 Dom Pérignon Ple?nitude 2—an equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, disgorged in March 2024 with a dosage of five grams per liter—has fulfilled its considerable promise. Born of a cool, slow-ripening season that endowed the wine with its incisive acid spine and raciness, perfected through the selection of origins that contribute the texture and plenitude only real maturity can impart, it wafts from the glass with aromas of orange, nashi pear, honeysuckle and toasted hazelnut, mingling with brioche and a touch of smoky reduction. On the palate, it is full-bodied, multifaceted and vividly bright, with a layered, concentrated core of fruit, its ripe yet racy acids and pinpoint mousse carrying it to a long, searingly chalky finish. If the 1996 Plénitude 2 was a success at Dom Pérignon, then the 2008 Plénitude 2 appears to surpass that, ranking among the greatest achievements of Richard Geoffroy, the house’s former cellar master. All in all, it is more energetic and incisive than the 2002 Plénitude 2 was on release, and anyone fortunate enough to secure a bottle will have no difficulty finishing it.