x

Dom Pérignon 2012

Moët & Chandon, Champagne, France

Moët & Chandon
Champagne France
  • 98
    Points
  • The 495 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 18 Pros of
    19 recommend
    this wine
1551 98
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    415

  • Producer ranking ?

    27

  • Decanting time

    15min

  • When to drink

    now to 2040

  • Food Pairing

    shellfish carpaccio, sashimis & grilled sea bass

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Read more
Close

Dom Pérignon Released Two Exceptional New Champagne Vintages.

As fans of Dom know, the house has founded its reputation on vintage wines, as opposed to multi-vintage cuvées. In a disastrous year, there will be no wine. Successful blending, then, is a matter of choosing the very best micro-sites in a given year, out of hundreds of Grand Cru–level blocks Chaperon holds in his tool kit. The ultimate trifecta he strives for in every final blend...

Read more
Close

The Story

 At the end of the 17th Century, Dom Pierre Pérignon stated his ambition to create ‘the best wine in the world’.  On 29 September 1694, Dom Pierre Pérignon wrote that his mission was to create “the best wine in the world.” He dedicated himself to improving viticulture techniques, perfecting the art blending grapes from different crus, and introduced the gentle and fractional pressing to obtain white wine from black grapes.Ever since, the House...

Read more
Close

Wine Information

Aromatically, the Champagne still shows freshness and youth, with some tangy lemon zest, chalk and then ripe apple, along with a touch of creamy coffee. In the mouth, it reveals more, with a clearly discernible breadth of flavours and a textural depth, suggesting the use of a diverse blend of first-rate wines, including fully ripe expressions. There’s juicy apple, even pineapple, and then a bit of gently bitter citrus peel and grapefruit pith,...

Read more
Close

Vintage 2012

2012 was deemed one of the best vintages the Champagne region has ever experienced. “The quality and the intensity are definitely there to make an outstanding vintage,” Dom Perignon chef de cave Richard Geoffroy told Decanter. The base wines show a lovely richness as well as the acidity needed to make outstanding and long-lived Champagnes. Yields are very low, in some places half of the allowed production.

Read more
Close

Tasting note

Be the first one to make a 20s tasting note!

Written Notes

I had the privilege of tasting the new Dom Pérignon with Vincent Chaperon six months before the official launch. Of course, it is then important to point out that the edges of the champagne will have become a little rounder and softer when you take on yet another classic Dom Pérignon. What I encounter is nothing less than an architectural masterpiece where I am glad that Richard Geoffroy and Vincent were not tempted to create a more accessible delicious nightclub wine but dared to make a wine that will require additional storage in one´s own cellar if you want to enjoy the maximum of its merits. Such a decision is never easy as most of the wonderful bottles of Dom Pérignon are unfortunately drunk by party goers who are more interested in image than in the true greatness of the wine. The winemakers have worked with the vintage's contrasts and extremes and let nerve and excitement have full freedom. Today, the wine is a bit unredeemed and compact like a nervous explosive sprinter waiting for the starting shot in the starting block. The dosage is moderate to add clarity and sharpness to the contrasting flavors. The mousse is nervous and energetic and shows very clearly its role as an aroma carrier of spices and chalky minerals when they crack against the palate and pass the rear nasal passage and give the taste a tickling depth via its inner scent signals. Some of the contrast stems from the high acidity of the cold weather and is somewhat reminiscent of 1996 where the phenolic maturity was not particularly high and provided space for the roasted and mineral-driven secondary aromas. At the same time, there is a roundness without direct creaminess. To create this contrasting symphony, the winemakers used an even higher proportion of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ and Chouilly than usual, as these vineyards were particularly successful this year. An extremely interesting wine that will be drunk far too early, as I predict that the quality peak will appear after 2030. If you drink up all your bottles too early, you can take comfort in the fact that the wine will be even better and deeper with all the features retained under the Plénitude 2 label.
 

-
  • 94p

"Bright straw colour with a green hue and vivid fine bubbles. Fine toast with roasted nuts, nougat, lemongrass, lime, ripe peach, yellow plum and fresh brioche. The palate is distinct and mouthwatering with an invigorating acidity, mild creaminess, warm and ripe with generous stone fruit flavours, a slight nuttiness, pistachio and almond with an intense, fresh and persistent finish. Still youthful but a tremendous potential."

-
  • 96p

Wonderful elegance and balance to this Dom Pérignon with cooked apple, lemon and hints of white pepper and salt. It’s medium-bodied with really fine bubbles and balance. Spicy at the end. So wonderfully fresh, linear and long. Racy and elegant. A DP that invites to drink right now. All about finesse. Tension, too, with precise phenolics and bright acidity on the back palate. Subtle energy. Drinkable now, but will develop beautifully in the bottle.

-
  • 97p

Bright golden colour. Well structured character with fine Brioche, elegant toasting, honeysuckle, fresh hazelnuts and fine lemon zests. Complex and opening up well with some time in the glass, revealing hints of starfruit in the background. On the palate creamy texture, well structured with freshness and refined mousseux, excellent length with a classy finish. An excellent Dom Pérignon.

-
  • 97p

The 2012 vintage has a great reputation but it surmounted all sorts of challenges: frost in winter and spring, torrential rains, hailstorms and cold spells while the vines were flowering, plus intense heatwaves during the summer – but at least these last left the grapes healthy. Harvest stretched from 10 to 26 September. As usual, they are tight-lipped about the exact composition of the blend.
Classic lemon-zest and tension nose that I associate with Dom Pérignon, but with extra weight and depth. And quite marked phenolics on the end which suggest this will have a remarkably long life. And, as Vincent Chaperon readily admitted, will definitely show up as a P2 star. Clean and neat and with light smokiness on the finish. Dom P always plays the reduction card. Hugely impressive persistence. Still a baby.

-
  • 93p

Light, green yellow colour. Open, rich and toasty nose with spearmint and hints of gooseberries. Dry, crisp and silky palate with smooth mousse. Refined, fresh and round texture. Long, lingering and harmonious finish. JL 93p (Oct 2021)

-
  • 93p

Wonderful elegance and balance to this Dom Pérignon with cooked apple, lemon and hints of white pepper and salt. It’s medium-bodied with really fine bubbles and balance. Spicy at the end. So wonderfully fresh, linear and long. Racy and elegant. A DP that invites to drink right now. All about finesse. Tension, too, with precise phenolics and bright acidity on the back palate. Subtle energy. Drinkable now, but will develop beautifully in the bottle.

-
  • 97p
Load more notes

Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Other wines from this producer

Brut Impérial

Dom Pérignon Oenothèque

Dom Pérignon Oenothèque Rosé

Dom Pérignon P2

Dom Pérignon P2 Rosé

Dom Pérignon P3

Dom Pérignon Résérve de l'Abbaye

Dom Pérignon Rosé

Dom Pérignon Rosé P3

Grand Vintage

Grand Vintage Collection

Grand vintage rosé

MCIII

MCIII 001.14

Moët Ice Impérial

Nectar Imperial

Nectar Imperial Rosé Dry

Rosé Impérial

Saran

Vinothèque

Vintage

Vintage rosé

Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Send
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 
Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register