My husband parents passed away and he came across in their house tuck away in their closet where it is cool & dark, a magnum of Cuvee Dom Perignon champagne vintage 1980, would it still be drinkable.....? Thank you!
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
First, my condolences to you and your husband. This is a familiar issue as others have also found old bottles. Champagne is particularly sensitive to storage conditions, so the first question is how long this bottle has been in this spot, unmoved? Has it always been "cool" and, if so, what temperature range would that have been? Did they acquire the bottle when it was first released by the producer, or some years later? I realize you may not have this information, so it makes it more challenging to give you an educated guess about its status. There are two points in your favor: first, it's a magnum, which tends to have a longer life and, second, Dom Perignon is known for its longevity. As I often tell those with older wines, the only way to know whether it is still drinkable is to pull the cork! You might be interested in the tasting notes for the 1980 on the DP website which I am pasting here: "Golden straw colour. On the nose, a suggestion of toasted brioche, clear hints of preserved citrus fruits with very slight suggestion of menthol, all developing to reveal more sustained notes of autumn fruits. Clean and pure on the palate. The lively structured attack gradually gives way to the wine's fleshy fullness. Lovely persistence with a touch of citrusy freshness." I wonder how close to this description your 1980 might be? Some recent tasting notes posted online are very positive, but all suggest a fully mature Champagne.
