Dom Pérignon, 1995 Oenothèque Champagne.

The story of Dom Pérignon OEnothèque really began with Dom Pérignon. The Dom Pérignon Chefs de Cave have always set aside flacons capable of making the long journey through time and kept them in the cellar. The spirit of what would one day be called Dom Pérignon OEnothèque was transmitted like a secret from one Chef de Cave to the next, and these extraordinary vintages were reserved for a circle of initiates.

Today, Dom Pérignon OEnothèque is the repository of this secret. The Dom Pérignon OEnothèque cellar, the Chef de Cave’s private cellar in Epernay, is the home of these extraordinary vintages. This treasure is renewed over time, vintage after vintage. For the moment, only fifteen Dom Pérignon Blanc vintages have had the honour of joining Dom Pérignon OEnothèque. Each Dom Pérignon OEnothèque vintage has a limited number of flacons and can only be consumed when the time is right. Tasting it is a rare, unforgettable privilege.

July 14, 1989 was one of those moments. For the bicentennial of the French Revolution, the President of France invited his guests to a memorable dinner under the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, where Dom Pérignon OEnothèque 1959 was uncorked for the first time in public “à la volée”. The spirit of Dom Pérignon OEnothèque, born in the 17th century, was spectacularly expressed in the modern world during these glittering celebrations.

Today, after 13 years in the cellars, it is the turn of Dom Pérignon OEnothèque 1995 to join what is already one of the most prestigious legends of contemporary luxury.

96 Points - Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008.