1996 Dom Perignon Oenotheque Champagne

Good creamy white mousse which dissipates to reveal a pale straw coloured base wine with pale gold edges still looking remarkably youthful. Exceptionally fine and very persistent bead. The nose is a classic Champagne sniff of refinement, complexity and intensity delivering lifted scents of toasty citrus like top notes followed by brioche, yeast lees and roasted almonds. The palate is a beautiful marriage or refinement, complexity and richness with toasty yeast lees flavours followed by some citrus, brioche and cashew showing magnificent persistence. Superb acid balance with a clean crisp dry finish. Exceptionally long aftertaste of yeast lees, toast, citrus, brioche and nutty almonds. Disgorged in 2008.
Drink over the next 5-8 years.
Alc 12.5%

Other Reviews….
The 1996 Dom Perignon OEenotheque offers up layers of pastry, lemon, smoke and toastiness. At first deceptively understated, the wine turns positively explosive and layered on the palate, showing remarkable tension, elegance and power, all wrapped around a seriously intense frame. The balance between fruit and acidity is awesome. This is a marvelous DP OEeno. The OEeno is the same juice as the regular Dom Perignon, except the OEeno is aged on the cork while the regular DP is aged in crown-sealed bottles. Once disgorged, the OEenos gets a slightly lower dosage than is typical for the original release DP. This bottle was disgorged in 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026.
97 points
Antonio Galloni – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate