Dom Perignon, Brut Vintage 2003

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: William Kelley

The 2003 Dom Pérignon is maturing very gracefully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of smoke, bread dough, waxy lemon rind and confit citrus. On the palate, the wine is ample, vinous and full-bodied but retains excellent definition, and it's structured around chewy dry extract from mature skins, which compensates for its comparative lack of acidity. It will be interesting to follow its evolution over the coming decade.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

Unfortunately there is only one new release from Dom Perignon this year. The 2003 is one of the most unusual Dom Perignons I have ever tasted, going back to 1952. Readers will remember that 2003 was a torrid vintage across northern Europe, especially during the critical month of August, when temperatures remained very hot for well over a month. The harvest was the earliest on record, until 2011, that is. I suppose its not that surprising Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy chose to make a 2003 Dom Perignon, given his penchant for risk-taking, an approach that has yielded so many memorable wines that stretch the perception of what big brand Champagne is and can be. The 2003 Dom Perignon is a big, broad shouldered wine. It does not have the seductiveness of the 2000, nor the power of the 2002. It is instead very much its own wine. In 2003 Geoffroy elected to use more Pinot Noir than is typically the case, and that comes through in the wine’s breath and volume. The 2003 is a big, powerful Champagne that will require quite a bit of time to shed some of its baby fat. The trademark textural finesse is there, though. I expect the 2003 to be a highly divisive Champagne because of its extreme personality, but then again, many of the world’s legendary wines were made from vintages considered freakish at the time. The 2003 is an atypically, rich, powerful, vinous Dom Perignon loaded with fruit, structure and personality. It is not for the timid, but rather it is a wine for those who can be patient. No one has a crystal ball, but personally I will not be surprised if in 20 years’ time the 2003 is considered an iconic Champagne. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2038. Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2003 Dom Pérignon is in a gorgeous place right now. To be sure, it is a powerful Champagne that reflects the personality of a year marked by frost, that took out 70% of the Chardonnay, and then record heat and drought over the summer. The 2003 is just starting to head into its first plateau of maturity. Brioche, baked apple tart, lemon confit and marzipan build into the rich, layered finish. (Originally published in May 2021)

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2003 Dom Pérignon is in a gorgeous place right now. To be sure, it is a powerful Champagne that reflects the personality of a year marked by frost, that took out 70% of the Chardonnay, and then record heat and drought over the summer. The 2003 is just starting to head into its first plateau of maturity. Brioche, baked apple tart, lemon confit and marzipan build into the rich, layered finish.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2003 Dom Pérignon remains surprising for its body, freshness and overall intensity. A Champagne of phenolic power and resonance, the 2003 drinks well now, but also clearly has the stuffing to age. I was hardly surprised to learn that a P2 Edition will be released within the next year or so. My basic feeling about the 2003 remains the same – it is a Champagne that will only be fully appreciated down the line.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

Once again, the 2003 Dom Pérignon shows its pedigree. Ample, powerful and beautifully resonant in the glass, the 2003 is built on a core of huge fruit and serious phenolic structure, both of which make it resemble a still wine, perhaps a fine white Burgundy with a bit of bottle age. There is more than enough density to allow the 2003 to age well for a number of decades.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

As always, the 2003 Dom Pérignon has a lot to say. Bold, powerful and intensely phenolic in feel, the 2003 packs serious energy to match its explosive personality. The combined effects of a spring frost that decimated yields and a unrelentingly hot summer combined to produce one of the most powerful young Dom Pérignons I have ever tasted. The heavy presence of Pinot (62%) is felt in the wine's volume and breadth, making it one of the most vinous Dom Pérignons in recent memory. Given its structural depth, I imagine the 2003 will drink well for many, many years. Interestingly Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that the 2003 was lower in sugars than the 2002, but richer in phenolics.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2003 Dom Pérignon continues to improve in bottle. Rich and ample on the palate, the 2003 offers tons of density and pure resonance. There is no question the 2003 is an atypically super-sized, vinous Dom Pérignon. I also think the 2003 will drink well for many decades based on its sheer density.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

One of the most intriguing wines ever made here, the 2003 Dom Pérignon continues to fascinate. Rich, vinous and deep, the 2003 has the structure of a Pinot-based Champagne, but much of the freshness of a Blanc de Blancs. Not surprisingly, the 2003 is 62% Pinot, and all of that comes through in the wine's breadth and pure textural richness. At times, the 2003 is deep and even somber, but it is always intriguing. A bouquet laced with honey and chamomile is quite classic, but then the wine blossoms on the palate, with tons of Pinot-inflected fruit backed up by equally commanding structure. There is no question the 2003 is an extreme wine, but it is compelling just the same.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2003 Dom Pérignon (magnum) is a total revelation because it is just a little bit more finessed than the same wine from bottle. How? If there is anything that is slightly not ideal in the 2003 it is the very slightest hint of dryness in the tannin that is the result of a torrid year in which full phenolic ripeness was virtually impossible to achieve. From magnum, though, that sensation is nowhere to be found. Instead, what impresses is the wine's textural purity and stunning depth. I have always thought there was a strong possibility the 2003 could turn out to be eternal, but when I taste the wine from magnum the odds go up….quite a bit. This is a fabulous Champagne from the team at Dom Pérignon headed by Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy. (Magnum)

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

Unfortunately there is only one new release from Dom Perignon this year. The 2003 is one of the most unusual Dom Pérignons I have ever tasted, going back to 1952. Readers will remember that 2003 was a torrid vintage across northern Europe, especially during the critical month of August, when temperatures remained very hot for well over a month. The harvest was the earliest on record, until 2011, that is. I suppose its not that surprising Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy chose to make a 2003 Dom Pérignon, given his penchant for risk-taking, an approach that has yielded so many memorable wines that stretch the perception of what big brand Champagne is and can be. The 2003 Dom Pérignon is a big, broad shouldered wine. It does not have the seductiveness of the 2000, nor the power of the 2002. It is instead very much its own wine. In 2003 Geoffroy elected to use more Pinot Noir than is typically the case, and that comes through in the wine’s breath and volume. The 2003 is a big, powerful Champagne that will require quite a bit of time to shed some of its baby fat. The trademark textural finesse is there, though. I expect the 2003 to be a highly divisive Champagne because of its extreme personality, but then again, many of the world’s legendary wines were made from vintages considered freakish at the time. The 2003 is an atypically, rich, powerful, vinous Dom Pérignon loaded with fruit, structure and personality. It is not for the timid, but rather it is a wine for those who can be patient. No one has a crystal ball, but personally I will not be surprised if in 20 years’ time the 2003 is considered an iconic Champagne.