Dom Perignon 2005

I believe that the 2005 DP is the best since 2002, which remains the best recent vintage and is probably only eclipsed by the amazing 100-point 1996. The 2005 is a full-bodied DP with so much richness and loads of ripe fruit such as pineapple and papaya. It has a wonderful, creamy texture and a long and intense finish. It’s a Champagne that fully satisfies but at the same time challenges you with its strength, depth and persistence on the palate.

Disgorged in late 2013 in order to be released in March 2015. The nose is immediately big, broad and almost sweet with a strong sensation of baked apple. This wine is already quite open – quite a contrast with the usual much tenser impression given by young Dom Pérignons. Relatively light and pretty, this is a pleasing, well balanced, relatively evolved wine with the lightest of bitter notes on the finish. But it’s unlikely to go down in history as one of the great Dom Ps.

With some botrytis on the Pinot Noir in 2005 this is rather a lush wine. 62% Chardonnay gives us some rather amazing honey notes, too. 2005 DP seems to be uncharacteristically rich and fat on the nose and too blowsy for true balance. This character carries on on the palate with a rather broad and fluid structure and not quite enough grip for it to be refreshing. RG stated that ‘Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the opposite and the complimentary’. They do not really seem to work in tandem his vintage. I can see that this is a tasty, moreish wine but it is just a little bit too flabby and loose-knit on the finish. RG added that it achieved ‘stunning ripeness’ and this time I agree, but I require much more acid drama on the finish. There is more density here than I expected for a Chardonnay dominant wine. This uncharacteristically forward wine is already drinking.