If you’ve got $400 burning a hole in your pocket, I’ve got the ultimate way to celebrate the end of one of the worst years we’ve ever lived through:
I just bought one for myself this morning, which leaves roughly 40 bottles for the rest of you. As to why a $400 bottle of champagne would be worth your time, let me break it down for you.
2008 is the best vintage of Dom Perignon I’ve ever tasted. Many of my colleagues from all over the industry agree. Not only is it one of the best vintages of Dom ever (so good that they released it out of order), it’s one of the best young drinking vintages, meaning you don’t have to wait to enjoy this. It’s in a beautiful spot.
Antonio Galloni from Vinous (where I tend to go when I need information or advice) reviewed the wine three times over three years:
Before its release, he wrote: “The 2008 Dom Pérignon is simply extraordinary. A wine of myriad dimensions, the 2008 explodes in all directions from the very first taste. Deep, powerful and yet wonderfully translucent, the 2008 boasts remarkable purity throughout. Crushed rocks, citrus, chalk and fresh spring water are some of the signatures. The 2008 is a stunning Champagne by any measure. It’s not too early to start setting aside the cash for this utterly magnificent, riveting Champagne.” He was basically prepping all of us to think about how much we could afford.
Upon its release, he wrote: “What I admire most about the 2008 is the way it shows all the focus, translucence and energy that is such a signature of the year, and yet it is also remarkably deep and vertical. In other words, the 2008 is a Champagne that plays in three dimensions.” Three dimensional wine, y’all!!
A year later, he wrote: “The 2008 Dom Pérignon is once again stunning. More than anything else, I am surprised by how well the 2008 drinks given all the tension and energy it holds. Then again, that is precisely what makes 2008 such a unique vintage – namely that the best wines are so chiseled and yet not at all austere. Lemon peel, almond, mint, smoke and crushed rocks are all finely sculpted, but it is the wine’s textural feel, drive and persistence that elevate it into the realm of the sublime. The 2008 will be even better with time in the cellar, but it is absolutely phenomenal even today, in the early going. Three recent bottles have all been nothing short of magnificent.”
So, yes, it’s basically one of the best Doms ever made, and ever released. On top of that, we’ve got it in MAGNUMS, which is the most coveted size for Champagne because the wine ages differently. In a magnum, the oxidation happens much more slowly, which means your wine ages more gradually if you want to put a couple of these in the cellar.
Retailers that have any of the 2008 Dom left in magnum are selling them for $500-$600 per bottle. Yet, our price is $399.
These 2008 magnums come adorned with the glow-in-the-dark luminous labels that light up with a switch underneath the punt. They were originally meant for nightclubs (because even in the dark, you want other people in the club to know you are rich!!!!!!).
Because nightclubs are closed, LVMH was sitting on this lot of 2008 treasure and we made them a deal for the rest of it. That’s how we got the price.
If you have ever wanted to treat yourself, or spend on a luxury bottle that 100% delivered the goods in every way possible (in three dimensions!), this is that moment.
I just threw down my hard-earned cash. Now I need to hit up Gelson’s for some caviar. I’m going to treat myself this holiday season because I have busted my ass the entire year and I am worth it.
Who’s with me?
-David Driscoll