1993 Dom Perignon Brut 750ml

The 1993 Dom Pérignon comes from a season of paradox: temperatures were merely average, yet sunshine hours ran high and the summer turned dry, building a crop of bright, citrus-toned fruit before rain complicated the picking. The house declared, and the result is a Dom Pérignon of freshness and understatement rather than blockbuster weight. Years like this rarely make headlines, which is exactly why they reward the curious: they show the house method working without the flattery of a famous season.

Cellar time is the quiet argument of this bottle. Dom Pérignon rests on its lees for years longer than most Champagne, and in lighter vintages that patience does the heavy lifting — knitting delicate base wines into something layered and complete. Three further decades of bottle age have continued the work the chalk cellars began. The cool galleries beneath Épernay hold a constant temperature year round, and that stillness is as much an ingredient as any grape.

Tasters find sweet citrus, light green herbs and honey, with lemon and lime carrying a long, smooth finish; it is medium-full and soft by the standards of the label. The hue has moved to antique gold and the effervescence is discreet. Bottles of this era vary with their keeping, so a calm, cold storage history is worth more than any tasting note.

Open it for an evening that can give it attention, and drink it through rather than saving half. Slightly warmer service in a tulip glass flatters its herbal-citrus profile, and lighter fare — oysters, sashimi, poached fish with lemon — meets it on its own terms. Its restraint also makes it a graceful aperitif before a longer evening.

• Size: 750ml
• ABV: ABV varies
• Vintage: 1993
• Origin: Champagne, France
• Winery: Dom Pérignon (Moët & Chandon), Épernay
• Grape/Blend: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Lees Aging: Years of lees rest in chalk cellars before release
• Tasting Notes: Sweet citrus, light herbs, honey, lemon-lime finish; discreet bead
• Drink Window: Drink now; fully mature