Dom Perignon 1998: Vintage review and drinking window

The short answer

As of September 2026, merchants ask a median of £335 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated) for Dom Perignon 1998 in 750ml bottles, from 3 merchant asks.

Dom Perignon 1998 represents a warm, balanced Champagne vintage that has entered its optimal mature drinking phase. Across 5 published reviews, critics award the release an average of 93.4 points, while Decanter's Champagne vintage guide rates the 1998 harvest four out of five. In this site's own dated trade records the 1998 last traded at £225 a bottle in November 2025, across 16 months of recorded trading. Consumer evaluation across 307 drinker ratings highlights smoky autolytic development, toasted hazelnut, dried citrus peel, and brioche complexity. Moet & Chandon produced both standard bottle releases and late disgorged P2 editions from this harvest. Our dataset records an active drinking window spanning 2013 to 2040, confirming that well-stored cellared bottles possess sufficient structural preservation for continued medium-term enjoyment before tertiary fruit evolution fully dominates the palate profile.

The 1998 growing season and harvest profile

The dom perignon 1998 vintage occupies a distinct position in the late twentieth-century lineup from the house of Moet & Chandon. Decanter's Champagne vintage guide records a cool, rainy July, a heatwave in the first ten days of August that scalded some clusters, and torrential September rain before sunny, windy weather returned around 15 September. It rates the year four out of five and says quality and quantity surpassed expectations, with grapes showing good health, sugar and acid levels. Essi Avellan MW gives 1998 three and a half stars, noting that the best wines have elegance and freshness while the weakest have evolved quickly.

Staggered picking, Decanter notes, helped growers select for ripe fruit. Unlike the hyper-acidic 1996 vintage or the softer 1995 release, the 1998 composition presents an even balance of freshness and weight. Dom Perignon assembled the final cuvee using its standard parity of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, selecting fruit exclusively from Grand Cru sites and the premier cru vineyards of Hautvillers.

The house selected fruit that demonstrated firm phenolic maturity and moderate natural acidity. Richard Geoffroy, the chef de cave at the time, prioritised seamless structural integration over overt power. The result is a champagne that reflects the warmth of late summer while retaining the taut mineral undercurrent essential to the style of the house.

Evaluating the Dom Perignon 1998 score and critic consensus

Professional evaluations reflect steady critical reception rather than historic dominance. Across 5 published reviews, the critic average sits at 93.4 points. Wine Spectator rated the wine 90 points on release and described the wine as refined. Decanter publishes a review of the 1998 in its late disgorged P2 form.

Consumer aggregations match the critical assessment. Across 307 drinker ratings compiled on community platforms, the wine holds a drinker score of 92.7. The wine maintains an enthusiastic following among collectors seeking mature Champagne. Drinker tasting logs frequently reference roasted hazelnut, preserved lemon, brioche, and smoky minerality. These consensus notes illustrate how the wine has evolved from primary orchard fruit into tertiary complexity, rewarding cellaring while remaining approachable.

Community reviews also point to differences between bottle formats. Large formats like magnums exhibit slower oxidation and fresher orchard fruit notes compared to standard 750ml bottles. Well-preserved standard bottles continue to show at a level consistent with the professional critic average of 93.4 points.

Drinking window and tertiary flavour evolution

The recommended drinking window for the 1998 bottling spans 2013 to 2040. Having passed its initial release window over a decade ago, the wine now sits comfortably in its secondary stage of maturation. Well-stored bottles from 1998 show no immediate signs of decline, maintaining a persistent bead, harmonious autolytic character, and sound structural acidity. The wine has evolved past its primary stage into rich tertiary aromas of roasted nuts, dried apricot, and warm brioche.

Storage provenance remains decisive for bottles from this era. Bottles maintained at constant temperatures between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius retain vibrant citrus acidity alongside savoury autolytic notes. Poor cellar conditions accelerate oxidation, causing premature maderisation and loss of effervescence. For optimal service, chill the bottle to 10 degrees Celsius and serving in standard white wine glasses rather than narrow flutes to allow tertiary aromas to open.

Market valuation and vintage comparisons

Merchants in our dataset ask a median of £335 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated). The 1998 has traded in 16 months of our recorded history, and last traded at £225 a bottle in November 2025. An asking price is what a merchant publishes and a trade is what a bottle actually sold for, so the two are shown separately. The 1996 vintage holds a critic average of 96.3, with merchants asking £355 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated). The 1995 holds a critic average of 94.7 and last traded at £298 a bottle in July 2019.

Collector interest in 1998 bottles rests on its readiness to drink. The 2015 vintage, with merchants asking £232 a bottle, and the 2013, with merchants asking £208 a bottle (including duty and VAT where stated), both require further cellar age. The 1998 bottle is fully expressive today, and buyers seeking immediate drinking pleasure value its mature balance.

The P2 edition and cellar longevity

Moet & Chandon extended the commercial lifespan of the harvest by holding back inventory for the Dom Perignon P2 programme, formerly known as Oenotheque. The chef de cave aged these bottles on their lees for over a decade longer than the original release, disgorging them once the wine attained its second peak of expression, which the house terms its second plenitude.

The P2 1998 edition is priced separately from the original release, reflecting extended cellar costs and limited release quantities. Decanter publishes a dedicated review of the late disgorged P2 1998. The contrast between the standard disgorgement and the P2 edition highlights the transformative effect of prolonged lees contact.

Common questions

Sources

• Wine Spectator: Dom Perignon's Lasting Legacy, checked 2026-08-20
• Decanter wine review: Dom Perignon P2 1998, checked 2026-08-20
• The Finest Bubble: Dom Perignon P2 1998 with Essi Avellan MW tasting notes, checked 2026-08-21
• Decanter Champagne vintage guide, checked 2026-09-30
• The Finest Bubble, Champagne Vintage Guide by Essi Avellan MW, checked 2026-09-30
• LVMH Dom Perignon Overview, checked 2026-08-20

By WineExperts. First published 21 August 2026, last updated 30 September 2026. Figures from our tracked merchant prices and recorded sales; text prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed above.