1990 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque Rosé

This wine was tasted as part of a complete vertical in March 2015.

Four new releases of the flagship Dom Pérignon are the highlights among these Champagnes from Moët & Chandon. There is a timeless elegance about Dom Pérignon that I find comforting and reassuring, like a favorite restaurant or food. For that reason, nothing could have prepared me for the Champagnes I tasted recently with Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy. While the 2002 Dom Pérignon and 1996 Dom Pérignon Œenothèque are both for the most part representative of what readers have come to expect from this house, the 2000 Dom Pérignon Rosé and 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé Œenothèque are wines that push the envelope and push it hard. I can't think of another winemaker at a Grande Marque who is willing to take these kinds of risks by turning well-established conventions on their head. Much of what I tasted reminded me of the experimental, searching spirit that defines so many of the smaller-production, artisan Champagnes being made today. As the saying goes ‘no guts no glory' and there is plenty of both here. These wines are nothing short of magnificent.

I was blown away by these four new releases from Moët et Chandon. I confess I have long admired the flagship Dom Pérignon. There is a timeless elegance about Dom Pérignon that I find comforting and reassuring, like a favorite restaurant or food. For that reason, nothing could have prepared me for the Champagnes I tasted recently with Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy. While the 2002 Dom Pérignon and 1996 Dom Pérignon Œenothèque are both for the most part representative of what readers have come to expect from this house, the 2000 Dom Pérignon Rosé and 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé Œenothèque are wines that push the envelope and push it hard. I can't think of another winemaker at a Grande Marque who is willing to take these kinds of risks by turning well-established conventions on their head. Much of what I tasted reminded me of the experimental, searching spirit that defines so many of the smaller-production, artisan Champagnes being made today. As the saying goes ‘no guts no glory' and there is plenty of both here. These wines are nothing short of magnificent.