You can find a detailed tasting note and assessments of the vintage below.
Everybody's darling or rather something for discerning connoisseurs?
If you like the Dom Perignon style and would like to treat yourself and your loved ones to a bottle of ‘Dompi’ in the near future, the 2008 vintage is an excellent choice. But there are good alternatives as 2002, 2004 and 2006. Here you will find all the information you need to make the right decision
Dom Perignon walks a fine line navigating very high expectations. It has to please the countless champagne lovers who pop the cork and expect uncomplicated, intense enjoyment. However, despite its silky palate and attractive aromas, it must not be superficial. True Champagne aficionados, wine connoisseurs and collectors expect it to develop layers and layers of complex flavours and are prepared to leave bottles to mature in the cellar for decades.
Dom Perignon 2008 is aimed more at the connoisseur because of its power and intense minerality. It was clear that this vintage would be one of the greats that would set the standard by which performance would be judged over decades. The combination of concentration, intensity and elegant, fresh weightlessness is so successful that it also finds its way into the cellars of those that usually ignore Dom Perignon altogether.
Is it also worth it for me if I'm not building a cellar, but want to experience pure enjoyment with a loved one or nice friends today? Yes. It is certainly much more expensive than 2015, but the difference in quality is even greater than in price. In terms of drinking experience, it is similar to other top vintages, but has more energy and freshness, as the tingling minerality gives the typically silky palate an extra kick. If you are looking for a softer palate and a broader range of flavours due to the ageing period, 2002, 2004 and 2006 are interesting alternatives.
What makes the vintage 2008 so special
2008 combines the seductive ripeness of 1990 with the classic structure of 1996. Such years are very rare, especially today. The sun, which is necessary for ripening, almost never comes without heat. The high temperatures cause the acidity to degrade very quickly. If you accept this, there is no lack of charm, but the wines develop quickly. The ability of Dom Perignon 2008 to build up additional layers of flavours over decades is then missing;
When is Dom Perignon 2008 in the optimum drinking window?
The question of when to drink it is more difficult to answer. The drinking pleasure is already great. It also develops slowly. If you are patient for five years, you won't notice any major changes. We recommend letting it mature for 10 years.
What edition of Dom Perignon 2008 are there?
In addition to the LED-lit Luminous Edition and the Artist Edition marketed in coopoeration with Lenny Kravitz, there is also the Legacy Edition due to the retirement of cellar master Richard Geoffroy in 2008. If you are interested in the contents of the bottle, you can safely ignore these more expensive variants, as they correspond to the normal version.
It is uncertain when the Dom Perignon 2008 P2 will be released. Will there be a P2 2009 before then?
Tasting notes and ratings from wine journalists
98 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider: Clearly, this is in contention as one of the best vintages of DP ever produced. The power, levels of concentration, balance, freshness, purity and complexity are off the hook. The yellow citrus, green apple, honeysuckle and brioche are backed up with the perfect amount of refined effervescence, providing lift, energy and elegance. Texturally this is beautiful on your palate This is a high-end Champagne worth laying down a case for the future.
96 William Kelley Roberparker.com&Unquestionably the finest Dom Pérignon of the decade, the 2008 Dom Pérignon is drinking brilliantly today, wafting from the glass with notes of citrus oil, ripe orchard fruit, peach, buttered toast, pastry cream, iodine and smoky reduction. Full-bodied, rich and fleshy, it's vinous and layered, with a deep core of sweet fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish. The 2008 is aging very gracefully.
97(95) Richard Juhlin ChampagneclubIncredibly good from the start. Crystal clear, clean, vibrating fresh without any disturbing acidity. Pure harmony from day one. Deep wide bouquet reminiscent of ancient days of concentration. Aromas that are intertwined to the most beautiful symphony. Warm generous breadiness, duck liver with brioche, butter-fried cep and a composite exquisite fruit ranging from yellow-green to orange. The texture is heavenly with a dense layer of silkiness over the ferociously fresh acidity and critical minerality. So, just in time for Richard Geoffroy's retirement, he releases the best wine of his life. What a grand finale and what a great farewell.
98 Antonio Galloni Vinous The Dom Perignon 2008 is a huge, powerful champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. (...) Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must.
Alfavin Tasting note
The silky palate and complex flavours of toasted almonds, brioche, lemon, pineapple, blood orange, apricot and mirabelle plum make it a real pleasure to drink. It has considerable power and concentration and fabulous acidity, but hidden behind so much elegance, freshness and harmony that no attention is paid to these structural elements that will provide decades of life. After long ageing on the lees, Dom Perignon generally has a rather soft palate, but rarely does so much sparkling, refreshing minerality bubble underneath. It thus manages the paradox of showing densely packed flavours and power in a weightlessly elegant way.
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