2000 Dom Perignon P2

The 2000 Dom Pérignon P2 opens in the glass with aromas of waxy citrus oil, warm bread, dried fruits, fresh peach and iodine. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and textural, with a sweet core of mature fruit, ripe acids and a sapid, elegantly toasty finish. As I wrote earlier this year, the 2000 vintage delivered a precocious Dom Pérignon, and this recently disgorged rendition has really benefited from the additional time sur lattes, acquiring notably more complexity—while retaining more energy—than the original disgorgement.

The 2000 Dom Pérignon P2 is striking. More importantly, it is absolutely delicious right now. Baked apple tart, brioche, spice, vanillin, ripe pear and crushed rocks all flesh out. Creamy, layered and inviting, with soft, voluptuous curves, the 2000 offers a lot of sheer pleasure. Although, perhaps not quite as complex or structured as the very best P2s, the 2000 is wonderfully alluring. Interestingly, in 2000, the Blanc and P2 are not as different as they typically are. The P2 has a bit more volume and freshness than the Blanc, but both wines share a distinct toasty, slightly reductive character.

Magnum, and a preview of a version of this wine to be released in 2019. Green, leafy, garden notes on the nose initially, which developed into something floral. Quite a rich start. I could certainly drink this now! Open and particularly friendly already but with the tension of an especially classic Dom Pérignon. Just slight chewiness on the end. (JR)