The late-release vintage prestige cuvée was introduced by Dom Pérignon winemaker Vincent Chaperon, who presented the Champagne alongside the original 2000 vintage, which was launched in 2008, having been disgorged in late 2007.

Comparing the two expressions of the same harvest, Chaperon described the P2, which has spent an additional nine years ageing on its lees, as a magnified version of the initial release.

“It has matured on its lees from 2001 to 2016, so it has had 15 years intimate contact with the lees, and we have observed what we are looking for in the second plénitude, which is higher energy, it is when everything becomes bigger, and not only the aromatics,” he said.

Continuing, he explained, “You can observe on the palate that the texture, the creaminess has been beefed up.”

So how do the Champagnes compare?

Well, as you can see my tasting notes below, while the first release of the 2000 vintage from Dom Pérignon (which has now spent more than nine years ageing off its lees) appears rounded and quite evolved, the second plenitude tastes younger, fresher, and generally livelier and a touch more chalky and dry too. This is because it has spent an extra nine years aging on the lees – a process that slows down ageing – but also because it has a lower dosage: 4 g/l compared to 7 g/l for the first release.

Read more at source: The Drinks Business