Cover Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2

The legendary champagne house showcases a suite of its Plénitude 2 vintage champagnes in an exclusive menu crafted by chef-owner Emmanuel Stroobant

Reconnecting with 2004 is the best way to understand the magic of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2. Jean-Baptiste Terlay, a winemaker since the early 2000s and now the project director of Dom Pérignon’s winemaking team, recalls that period as a great time for making champagnes.

“After a challenging 2003 with a scorching hot summer and spring frosts that led to an early harvest, the vines had enough time to rest the following year,” he declares. It helped, too, that 2004 had a cool August and a few weeks of dry heat that really shaped the vintage. And, as the vines were able to recover, Terlay lets on that they produced the highest yield of grapes in the past century.   

In the hands of the Dom Pérignon’s winemakers—led by chef de cave Vincent Chaperon—these were transformed into highly coveted vintages that were matured for eight years. A limited number of these bottles, however, were kept longer in the cellars and “elaborated for close to 18 years” to reach the harmonious balance of structure, finesse and flavour that is the Plénitude 2.  

Read more: Dom Perignon Launches Plénitude 2 Vintage 2003 in Singapore

Tatler Asia
Above Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2 was elaborated for close to 18 years to reach its ideal flavour profile

The Plénitude 2 is the second life of the vintage champagne which, Terlay notes, has evolved from its signature freshness and minerality into something with “darker, more sombre characters”. Appreciating this masterpiece starts with its fruity and citrusy bouquet of pink grapefruit and blood oranges. This blossoms on the palate with a luscious creaminess punctuated with briny, roasted notes, and ends with a wonderful saline finish.

“The best way to enjoy Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2 champagnes is with friends,” Terlay declares. Champagne lovers in Singapore will be able to do that and more at two-Michelin-starred Saint Pierre, where chef-owner Emmanuel Stroobant has crafted a special five-course dinner menu. Similar to Plénitude 2, it brings out the most beautiful emotions especially when it is paired with Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2, as well as other vintages namely 2002 Plénitude 2 and 2003 Plénitude 2.

In case you missed it: Dom Pérignon Teams Up With Basque Kitchen to Create a Special 7-Course Menu

“This menu is slightly different from what we do… this isn’t a normal food and wine pairing as it’s all about stirring up emotions through the stories we want to tell,” explains Stroobant, who recreated five classic dishes that defined his professional career spanning more than two decades.

Since opening the French restaurant in 2000, the chef has always had caviar in his amuse-bouche. But for the special menu, he paired the caviar with marron so their ocean-fresh flavours are further enhanced by the bright and expressive characters of the Dom Pérignon Vintage 2002 Plénitude 2.

Fast forward 17 years later, in 2017, when the restaurant earned its first Michelin star. Harking back to that special moment, Stroobant brought back his signature scallop appetiser, which is now bathed in a creamy-nutty almond soup and elevated with the Vintage 2002 Plénitude 2’s fresh salinity and liquorice notes.  

Also making their grand comeback are the sea bass and corn, the 2.0 version of his popular miso cod dish, paired with the Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2, as well as the grilled Anjou pigeon drizzled with a nutty “buah keluak sauce”. The sauce not only showcases his Asian influences but is also a tribute to his wife, Edina Hong’s Peranakan roots. This main course is deeply flavourful, but the fruitiness of the Vintage 2003 Plénitude 2 keeps the palate fresh and ready for the next course: dessert.

Stroobant took inspiration from Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2’s sweet, fruity and honey notes to craft the Rice & Citrus, comprising Japanese pomelo and the chef’s take on the traditional baba rum cake. It is, indeed, a perfect ending to a stellar meal that puts forth Dom Perignon’s Plénitude 2 vintage champagnes in a wholly new light.  


The exclusive Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2 pairing menu is available from December 21 to 31. Reservations for the pairing menu should be made at least 3 days in advance on saintpierre.com.sg.

Credits

Images  

Dom Pérignon

Topics