Dom Pérignon was one of the very first producers to assemble wines starting with the grapes, as well as the first to master the production of white wines from red grapes to achieve a giant leap forward in quality. Made exclusively from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from ten Grand Cru vineyards and from the oldest vines at the Abbey of Hautvillers, Dom Perignon is produced only in exceptional vintage years.
Fresh, crystalline, and sharp, the first nose unveils an unusual dimension, an aquatic vegetal world with secret touches of white pepper and gardenia. The wine then reveals airy, gentle richness before exhaling peaty scents. On the palate, the attack bursts forth, and matures into a sensual fullness that winds around itself, like a tendril of foliage. Notes of aniseed and dried ginger linger on the skin of fruit (pear and mango), more textured than ripe. The finish gradually unfurls and then settles, smooth, mellow, all-encompassing. An indefinable je ne sais quoi, never upsetting the integrity of the wine, has worked its charm.

WINE SPECTATOR RATING: 95

WINE SPECTATOR REVIEW: The Brut Cuvée Dom Pérignon 2002 ($160) was a revelation. Coming from a ripe year, Geoffroy took advantage of the flavor maturity in the grapes and the powerful profile of the vintage. Complex aromas of ripe yellow fruits, citrus and ginger are complemented by mineral and toast. Very rich and creamy, dense even, this is a youngster and still expressing its primary peach flavor and a long hazelnut finish. It is a voluptuous wine with flesh covering its structure now.

ROBERT PARKER RATING: 96

ROBERT PARKER REVIEW: The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Ripe apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wine's volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off. Geoffroy describes the vintage as very ripe and adds that some of the Chardonnay showed the ill-effects of the hot growing season in it the somewhat burned, dehydrated fruit that came in that year. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2032