Wine Advisor
Dom Perignon, Brut Vintage 2004
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
The 2004 Dom Pérignon is from a classic vintage and a very generous year in terms of yields. White-golden in color, the clear, discreet and subtle nose gives way to dried white rather than yellow fruits, raisins and hazelnuts, as well as to floral and herbal aromas. Less generous and concentrated in the mouth than the 2005 and austerely dry at the moment, the 2004 shows its great finesse and characteristic minerality. There should be a better point of time to praise its class, so trust and keep it!
Reviewed by: David Schildknecht
Lily-of-the-valley perfume and scents of lightly toasted brioche and almond rise from the glass of Moet’s 2004 Brut Dom Perignon, along with hints of the apricot, pear and grapefruit that then inform a luscious and creamy yet strikingly delicate as well as consummately refreshing palate. Sweet-saline savor of scallop – also already intimated in the nose – lends compulsive saliva-inducement to a ravishingly rarified and persistent finish, joined by alkaline, nutty, liquid-floral, and nori seaweed notes for a performance of head-scratching subtlety and intrigue. (In case my description hasn’t already made clear, we have here inter alia a fantastic sushi wine.) This will be worth following for at least the next 6-8 years, in the course of demonstrating that iconic status as a luxury brand, and elevated (albeit secret) production numbers by no means preclude a wine of understated as well as profound beauty. Imported by Moet Hennessy, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2004 Dom Pérignon wafts from the glass with notions of freshly baked bread, crisp yellow orchard fruit, honeycomb and iodine. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied and open-knit but incisive, with a textural attack, an elegant pinpoint mousse and attractive purity. Between the rich, ripe 2002 and the powerful but racy 2008, the 2004 is an excellent but more classically proportioned example of Dom Pérignon.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2004 Dom Pérignon is one of the more reductive, autolytic vintages of this wine to have been released in the last decade, offering up a toasty bouquet of pears, green apple, iodine, peach and smoke. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny textured and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit, a fine mousse and a vinous profile. The 2004 is drinking well today: as I wrote earlier this year, between the rich, ripe 2002 and the powerful but racy 2008, the 2004 is an excellent but more classically proportioned example of Dom Pérignon.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2004 Dom Pérignon is a totally different beast. It is the product of a very long and cool growing season marked by heavy summer rains in some sectors of the region and then ideal conditions through to harvest. After a brutally torrid 2003, the vines responded by setting a huge crop. In fact, 2004 remains the most abundant vintage in the history of Champagne. The best wines, though, well, they have always impressed with their laser-like cut and focus. That’s exactly what comes through in the 2004 Dom Pérignon. Tasted from magnum, the 2004 shows all the linear energy and crystalline precision of the year, but with that extra magic that comes from fermentation and longer aging in the big bottle. The 2004 has long been one of my favorite Dom Pérignons. From magnum, it is especially captivating.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Another stellar wine, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is just starting to show the first signs of aromatic development, as well as a bit of added weight it did not have as a young wine. The 2004 remains a bright, mid-weight DP built on persistence and length more than overt volume. I have always had a soft spot for the 2004. This tasting does nothing to dampen that enthusiasm.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A wine of nuance, precision and understatement, the 2004 remains all grace. Time has softened some of the contours, but the flavors remain fresh and vibrant. Medium in body, the 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for several decades. This is a gorgeous showing from the 2004, a wine that has been captivatingly beautiful from the first time I tasted it years ago. There is something effortless about the 2004 that is hard to capture with words. The 2004 doesn't quite have the obvious breeding of the 2008 and 2002, nor the obvious power of the 2003 or 2006, and yet it is harmonious, sublime and totally sensual.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
One of the stars in this tasting, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is starting to express the potential it hinted at as a young wine. Specifically, the 2004 has gained quite a bit of volume and overall depth within the last few years. The first signs of aromatic nuance are starting to develop, which suggests the 2004 will soon enter its first plateau of maturity.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A Champagne of crystalline precision, the 2004 Dom Pérignon once again shows off its pedigree and total class. Everything about the 2004 speaks to nuance. The flavors are bright and lifted throughout, but it is the wine's lithe, gracious shape that stands out most. Pear, slate, white flowers, sage and crushed rocks abound in a Dom Pérignon built on cool, brisk energy. Today, the 2004 is simply dazzling, with plenty of upside for the future.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Racy, silky and vibrant in the glass, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is all about energy. Here the flavors are bright and delineated throughout, with veins of acidity and minerality that give the wine its sense of drive. Mint, rosemary and yellow-fleshed fruits linger on the finish with the classic DP reductive overtones that are such a signature. Once again, the 2004 Dom Pérignon truly shines. The 2004 Dom Pérignon is a wine to treasure over the next thirty or so years.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Bérèche’s NV (2009) Campania Remensis Rosé and the 2004 Dom Pérignon (magnum) capture the contrasts that makes Champagne such an exciting wine. The Bérèche is rich and vinous in the glass, while the Dom Pérignon speaks to finesse. Both wines kick the night off in grand style.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
This tasting only serves to highlight just how great the 2004 Dom Pérignon is. A wine that has totally blossomed in bottle, the 2004 is firing on all cylinders right now. Rich, ample and beautifully nuanced, the 2004 has it all; expressive aromatics, deep fruit and more than enough structure to age well for decades. I have been tasting the 2004 since before it was released and it just keeps getting better and better. Today, it is stunning. It is amazing to consider that in 2004, yields were the largest ever recorded in Champagne.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2004 Dom Pérignon continues to develop beautifully. A vibrant, focused Champagne, the 2004 clearly reflects the personality of the year. Freshly cut flowers, white peaches and pears are woven together in a Champagne that impresses for its focus and energy. Chiseled saline note support the crystalline finish. I imagine the 2004 will always remain relatively bright and linear, but at the same time, each time I have tasted it over the last two years the 2004 seems to have a little more body and broader shoulders. The 2004 will appeal most to readers who find the 2002 and 2003 too exuberant. There is a lot to like in the glass.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Vivid yellow. High-pitched, mineral-accented aromas of pear, Meyer lemon, quince and jasmine, with smoke and toasted grain qualities adding bass notes. Spicy, penetrating and pure, boasting impressive vivacity to its fresh orchard and citrus fruit flavors. Gains weight and breadth with air while maintaining vivacity, picking up a gingery nuance that carries through a long, smoky finish. I'd bet on this taut, youthful Champagne rewarding many more years of patience.
About the Producer
Dom Pérignon has always stuck to its founder's vision: always excellent yet always improving. Each vintage is made through delicate assemblage and adjustment, resulting in the mysterious blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. It isn’t specifically what Dom Perignon created in his forty seven years as the cellar master at the Abbey of Hautvillers, it is the innovations and enhancements that he discovered. At this time in history, sparkling was thought of as faulty wine and was quite dangerous as refermenting in bottle caused explosions. Dom Perignon resolved to sparkling wine tastier and safer. He pioneered the mixing of base wines from specific vineyards to enhance the style. So he hand-picked the fruit to ferment by blind tasting the grapes to assess them strictly on their flavour and the way they might style once blended with alternative grapes he had access too. This was a serious departure from the quality wine creating techniques of the day. He additionally pioneered the pressing of red grapes and straightaway fermenting the juice to create white wines from red grapes. With regards to safety, he introduced the utilization of thicker glass bottles able to withstand the pressures of sparkling wines and used Spanish corks rather than wood to seal the bottles. These corks were traditionally tied to the bottlenecks with Hemp string, a forerunner of today's wire metal cages. Many celebrities enjoy success with Dom Pérignon. In 1995, rapper Little Shawn, protégé of Diddy at that time, dedicated a whole song to the champagne brand. The music video also featured a cameo appearance of late rap star Notorious B.I.G. drinking Dom Pérignon. To put it short: A bottle of 'Dom P' stands for success!
1966(1)1969(2)1975(1)1978(1)1980(1)1982(1)1985(2)1988(4)1990(4)1992(2)1993(3)1995(2)1996(4)1998(2)1999(4)2000(10)2002(13)2003(7)
Package Size
