2005 - Dom Perignon

The 2005 Dom Pérignon is starting to enter its first plateau of maturity, where the aromas and flavors show the early signs of the development that takes place over time in bottle. Apricot, candied orange peel, dried flowers, mint and pineapple are nicely delineated in the glass. Soft and silky on the palate, the 2005 is quite welcoming and inviting.

The 2005 Dom Pérignon has a brilliant white-golden color and is intense on the yeasty nose, where vegetal aromas along with almond and rather discreet fruit flavors are displayed, before they intensify and become more rich. Firm, fresh and elegant, this is a full-bodied, complex and pretty rich, well concentrated and creamy-textured DP with a tightly woven structure; it has a still somewhat edgy finish. There is bit more Pinot Noir than usual in this blend, whereas the produced quantity is relatively low. Due to strict selections, just the half of the normal quantity was produced.

Magnum. Very tricky year. Super-concentration. Then rain and rot. They had to go fast and sort scrupulously. Very small volume of Dom Pérignon was made: only a quarter of the volume of 2004. The smallest ever apart from 2002 rosé, made because of market demand. It was very unusual to declare a prestige cuvée 2005 so Richard Geoffroy is protective about this. Strong citrus character – mandarin peel perhaps – and a little chewy on the finish. But good to drink now. (JR)