Dom Pérignon 2002 in a 6-litre Methuselah, in its original wooden case, pairs a highly regarded modern Champagne vintage with a very large format. It is a bottle for a big occasion.
About This Champagne
2002 had a warm, dry spring and good flowering. A grey, wet late August gave way to a very sunny September, and wind and warmth concentrated the grapes before the harvest began in mid-September. The house has compared the ripeness to 1982 and 1990, and noted how aromatic the Chardonnay was. The blend is roughly 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. The wine is dense and creamy with a light bitter twist at the end, and the vintage is also highly regarded in its later P2 release.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Fresh almond, candied lemon and dried fruit, with smoke and toast.
- Palate: Dense and creamy, with ripe fruit that builds through the palate and a salty freshness.
- Finish: Intense and lasting, with a subtle bitterness and a hint of liquorice.
Serving & Food
Serve at 10 to 12°C in white wine glasses, not flutes. Drink now through the 2030s. Try langoustine, roast chicken with truffle, or steamed crab with Shaoxing wine.
How to Enjoy
A large celebration where one bottle serves the whole room, or a Methuselah to put away for a future anniversary.
Product Details
Producer: Dom Pérignon (Moët & Chandon)
Region/Appellation: Champagne, France
Vintage: 2002
Grape variety: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Format: 6L Methuselah
Style: Prestige vintage Champagne
Packaging: Original Wooden Case (OWC)
Origin: France
About the Maison
Dom Pérignon is the prestige cuvée of Moët & Chandon in Épernay, named after the Benedictine monk who ran the cellars at the abbey of Hautvillers in the late 17th century. The first vintage was 1921, released in 1936. It is only ever made as a vintage wine, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the chef de cave can decline to declare a year if the fruit falls short.
Fruit comes from grand cru villages plus the premier cru of Hautvillers. The house works in a reductive way, protecting the wine from oxygen, which is where its familiar gentle smoky, toasty note comes from. Richard Geoffroy led the cellars from 1990 until 2018, and Vincent Chaperon has been chef de cave since 2019.