Highly Recommended: Dom Pérignon - 1993
Jan 04 '02 (Updated Jan 06 '02)
The Bottom Line No two views about it: a Very Good Champagne. Just a tad too expensive, but right for special occasions.
The '93 Dom Pérignon is not a hard-to-find Champagne. It simply is not listed in the Epinions database of wines. The database for sparkling wines and Champagnes at Epinions is -- quite simply -- a laughing stock.
--
When most people think of premium Champagne, the name Dom Pérignon usually jumps to mind.
Dom Pérignon is a product of Moët et Chandon, one of a few producers of premier Champagne in all of France.
Dom Pérignon - 1993
--------------------------------------------------
In Champagne, France, all grapes used in the production of Méthode Champenoise (or Methode Traditionnelle) wines must be hand-picked. This is not only a tradition, it is a law. Therefore, a lot of handicraft and expensive manual labor is required in the production of Champagne -- from the early growing season (vineyard maintenance), through the harvest, and then into the racking, riddling and final details of the wine's packaging.
Moët et Chandon - Dom Pérignon's place in history is secured by the legendary Dom Pérignon (1639-1715) himself -- a blind Bénédictin monk who "accidentally" discovered the process of putting bubbles into wine via the induction of a secondary fermentation while the wine was bottled. Dom Pérignon gets the credit for the invention of sparkling wine, much to the consternation of the people from Limoux, France. Limoux is a village in the south of France, close to the Spanish border, that bills itself as the "birthplace" of sparkling wines -- nearly 200 years before Dom Pérignon of Champagne, France.
The 1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne is packaged in a classic, simple yet very elegant fashion. A dark green bottle with a dark gray-green foil wrap on the neck and a simple, matte-olive green label. No red or gold foil, or shiny gold lettering needed to catch the consumers' eyes. This is not a Champagne looking to be discovered. Here's a good picture of the bottle: http://www.bevmo.com/115images/3624.jpg
The Champagne: This is a 12˝% alcohol-by-volume bubbly that pours with a bright, medium-straw color. Honeysuckle, bread yeast, and lemon aromas. Nothing too sour, nothing too sweet... this is a wine with balanced acidity and obvious quality. Rich mouthfeel, quite refined, with fruity lemon and light apple flavors. Finish is smooth, silky, mousse-like. I've been concentrating on sparkling wines and Champagnes these past few months, and can say that this one is simply beautiful. There is nothing that I don't like about it except its price.
Price and Availability
--------------------------------------------------
I purchased the 1993 Dom Pérignon at Costco for $86 ($79.99 plus sales tax). At most every wine shop I checked this past month, I was able to find this Champagne for about the same price. At Beverages and More (bevmo.com), this Champagne is listed at $89.99 -- a tad on the pricey side.
Some online shops (Bacchus Cellars) are offering this Champagne for $150+. Give me a break!
Recommendations
--------------------------------------------------
A great tasting, wonderful Champagne made for celebrating special occasions: a promotion, a big bonus, a new baby, a new house, a new car, etc. As much as I enjoyed this Champagne, I must admit that I find Moët et Chandon's California sparkling wines (the Domaine Chandon Brut Classic, Napa Valley) almost equally tasty and far less expensive.
I drank this Champagne last night, after dinner. I went to King's Fish House (Orange, California) for dinner earlier in the evening. King's offers a short but nice wine menu (http://www.kingsfishhouse.com/wine.html). Some of their menu items would pair well with a Champagne like this Dom Pérignon. Examples: Yellowfin Tuna with roasted pineapple salsa. Blackened Swordfish with papaya salsa. Tortilla-Crusted mahi mahi with avocado relish. Grilled Yellowtail with Thai Chile and cucumber relish. Macadamia Crusted Canadian Halibut with orange ginger sauce. Yum....
Dom Pérignon -- Not something for everyday consumption, unless your last name is "Gates," "Murdoch," or "Spielberg," but something quite special if you want to feel like these money barons... even if it is just for an hour out of the year.
Verdict: 5-stars.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
|
 - Top 50 |
|
Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 1090
Trusted by: 690 members
About Me:
Go U.S.C.!!!
|
|
|
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.