Dom Perignon Rose 2009 (750ml)

The 2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé marks a return to a richer style of Rosé following the more ethereal 2008 Rosé. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, spice and pomegranate all build in a creamy, sensual DP Rosé that hits all the right spots. Over the last few years, Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon and his team have lowered the still Pinot portion of the Rosé down to about 10% from a high of 28% or so, reached around 2004 and 2005. In 2009, the Rosé gains considerable textural presence from the generosity of the year. It is a superb Champagne. I preferred it to the 2008, which was also part of this tasting.

With a 13% red wine addition, this is slightly less vinous than the 2006 (which saw 20%), yet still lays closer to this bold, sunny vintage than the nervier 2008 release. It’s a Dom Pérignon rosé in full stride today, showing a beautiful maturing Pinot Noir savour of dried strawberry and black tea starting to evolve over fresher notions of cooked citrus, mandarin and pomegranate. There’s a flowing ease here, the mousse ultra fine and the drama of the red Pinot Noir settled beautifully.

The 2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé, disgorged in 2022 with a dosage of five grams per liter, continues to show nicely, unfurling in the glass with aromas of orange oil, raspberry, pomegranate and Timut pepper, mingled with notes of dried flowers and apricot. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied and openly muscular—expansive and textural—built around a sweet core of fruit, its phenolic presence and vinous character informed by the inclusion of 13% still red wine. Its pinpoint mousse and ripe yet vibrant acidity lend energy, carrying the wine to a perfumed, resonant finish. While it appears to be marginally more harmonious and a longer-distance runner than the 2010 rendition, it currently shows considerably less depth than the white Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2 from the 2006 vintage that preceded it in the tasting, leading me to place my confidence in the latter.