Dom Perignon 2002 and sushi

I admit it – I don’t have any patience. This is why my cellar is under lock and key 14,204km away from where I am. So far this technique is working and I am slowly starting to build up a nice collection of bottles. However recently I was given a bottle of the illustrious Dom Perignon 2002…. temptation, temptation!!

Now this beauty retails at about US$200 and was given a 96 from Mr. Parker (not that this confirms anything). So therefore in order to pop its cork I needed to come up with a reason to celebrate and what’s better to toast your backpacking trip than with Dom P!

So I popped the bottle in the fridge early in the day to insure it was properly chilled and set about making some salmon and teriyaki chicken sushi to go with it. Rumour has it that Japanese food is extra complimenting when ‘drinking the stars’.

Pop goes the cork and as it flows into some beautiful Swarovski crystal flutes my heart begins to flutter and knees weaken. Now this is true love! A floral perfume reaches up from the glass, as my eye’s close in awe and my mouth can’t wait anymore I go for it! Fresh touches of squeezed lemon and lime tickle my taste buds with apple notes flowing through to the finish. Overall it is a very fresh, crisp and elegant Champas for a 2002.

Now when the sushi was added into the mix, and with a bit of time in the glass the acidity dropped down a notch and we started to get a tropical fruit salad where the apples turned into flavours more reminiscent of apricots, peaches and nectarines. Truly delish and now I am a true believer that sushi and Dom P is the right combo. After doing my research I found out that the yeast in the Champagne compliments the yeast in the soy sauce, which makes this work so well.

I would be interested in testing this out with one of my fave NV’s – Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label as I find this tipple a lot more yeastier on the palate.

I would also suggest that if you have a bottle of DP 2002 to try and wait a couple more years (if you can!), as I am sure the complexity is going to grow over the next couple of decades.