Dom Perignon

[Novice]

I'm going to have the opportunity to buy a case of Dom Perignon at an "unbelievable" price. It is something that someone has had in a warehouse for a while. I don't have the vintage yet. I'm concerned it may be "too old" and not in good shape if it has been in a less than optimum storage area. How old is too old for Dom, how vulnerable is it to heat, and how do I find out what is a good price? Thanks.

[tomstevenson]

Stored under ideal conditions, all vintages of Dom Perignon (with the exception of the first three - 1928, 1929 and 1934 - which were transvasaged) should conform to varying grades of excellence. Champagne is, however, highly susceptible less than ideal storage conditions. Not just high temperature (to which it is highly vulnerable), but also light and, most of all varying conditions of storage, particularly when the wine has been moved from place to place after the initial distribution process. I suspect the "unbelievable" price would be very believable if you knew the complete provenance of this DP. Having said that, I might still be tempted to take the risk, and if it's disappointing, sell it on at a price to cover your initial cost, but caveat emptor, for someone else to take a similar risk.
When you have made the purchase, tell me the vintage and price, and I'll let you know what it should really cost and taste like.