Dom Pérignon : Vintage 2010

Soft gold, with a gentle green luminescence and a paler rim. A fine bead and immediately reassuring nose…. classic DP this, citric fruit, slate, sourdough, soft spice and the softly whispered intimations of tropical decadence. Pedigree writ large. The palate continues the theme, albeit with great subtlety. Vincent describes sapidity, itself buttressing the fruit which now recalls nectarines and pineapple, maybe a hint of crystallised grapefruit. The finish unfurls neatly, a gentle phenolic kick of salinity underwriting structure and potential alike.

The 2010 Dom Pérignon is hard to get a read on today. I have tasted it four times over the last few months, and my feeling is that it is still not totally put together. Apricot, pastry, chamomile, mint and light tropical notes are all signatures of a hot vintage with a very fast final phase of ripening that trails only 2002 and 2003 in terms of sugars. Of course, the year had plenty of challenges. The first part of the year was marked by cold and very dry weather during the winter and spring. June saw heat and some stress in the vines. July and August were quite warm, with heavy rains on August 15 and 16 that caused a widespread outbreak of botrytis that accelerated rapidly in the days leading up to harvest. Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon explained that Chardonnay was favored over Pinot because better aeration within the clusters helped fend off rot, while parcels that had been less stressed by the June heat also suffered less from the effects of botrytis. Perhaps because of the unevenness in the season, there is also something disjointed about the 2010. While sugars were high, so were acidities, just behind 2008 in the decade of the 2000s. It will be interesting to see where the 2010 goes over time. It is the first vintage made under the direction of Vincent Chaperon, who worked alongside outgoing Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy for many years. (Originally published in August 2020)

Bright yellow. The first aromas burst with exotic notes of ultra-fresh, juicy pineapple and captivating lemon sweets. Then, very much at the core, a fine smoky note of warm ash rises with the intensity of incense; Asian green zest mingles with finely cut herbs, grey-tinged limestone, and the striking sensation of cool water brushing volcanic rock. Hints of white stone fruit, hazelnut oil and white spices add an extra, measured energy and an instinctive sense of a magnificent future. Immense powdery finesse. Broad and still exotic with pineapple, mango, yellow stone fruit and honeyed confectionery, the palate is driven by a grey, stony, iodine-tinged, purely saline backbone. A gentle peanut-like film underlines a damp, chalky finish with a peppery, tannic texture. Mesmerising!

Round, creamy palate with honeyed notes and a delicate toasty touch on the finish, with great breadth: it’s ready to drink.