Dom Perignon, Brut Vintage 2005

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt

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.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

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.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2005 Dom Pérignon is just starting to enter its first plateau of maturity, as the aromas and flavors now show the complexity and nuance of a wine that has been in bottle for a number of years. Dried apricot, smoke, dried flowers, orange peel, almond and chamomile give the 2005 its signature flavor profile. More mature hazelnut and coffee notes aren’t too far away. Today, it is the wine’s density that is most surprising, but that should allow the wine to age gracefully for many years to come.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2005 Dom Pérignon is a festive way to kick off our 2005 Bordeaux retrospective. Fresh and vibrant, with the classic hints of DP reduction, the 2005 is super-expressive tonight. Although not one of the truly epic Dom Pérignons, the 2005 offers lovely energy, while its mid-weight personality makes it an excellent choice for current drinking. The bright, precise style is the perfect complement to David Bouley's hors d'oeuvres.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2005 Dom Pérignon is lifted and precise throughout, with a classy, understated personality to match. Pear, apple, mint and white flowers are laced together in a finely-knit fabric of pure class. Two thousand five was a challenging vintage because of rot issues, especially in Pinot Noir. As a result, the 2005 Dom Pérignon is more than 60% Chardonnay, which is quite unusual. Soft, and open-knit, the 2005 is the most complete Dom Pérignon for drinking now among recent vintages. I suspect the 2005 will also have a shorter arc of life next to some of the truly epic wines that surround it.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2005 Dom Pérignon is incredibly delicate, understated and silky, with gorgeous textural balance and class. Today, the 2005 comes across as a smaller-scaled version of the 2004 in that it is a Dom Pérignon built on finesse rather than the power that characterizes vintages such as 2002 and 2003. Today, the 2005 is a bit inward and not fully expressive, which is a good sign for the future. Still, given its mid-weight structure and previous showings, my impression is that the 2005 is best suited to near and medium-term drinking. Then again, Dom Pérignon has a brilliant track record for aging. Any way you look at it, though, there is little question Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy made one of the two or three Champagne of the vintage in 2005. As I have written previously, 2005 will be a very small release by Dom Pérignon standards. So much so, that the 2006 is likely to be released by the end of 2015.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2005 Dom Pérignon opens with the classic Dom Pérignon bouquet. Warm toasty notes meld into expressive fruit in a supple, silky Champagne endowed with stunning depth, nuance and complexity. Sweet floral notes add lift as the wine opens up in the glass. Overall, the 2005 is a relatively delicate, gracious DP, but what it lacks in depth it more than makes up with persistence and its open, totally inviting personality. Today it's hard to see the 2005 making old bones, but it is a gorgeous wine to drink while the 2004 ages. In 2005, the release is scheduled to last about six months, which means production is down around 50% over normal levels. All I can say is the 2005 is fabulous, especially in a vintage that required considerable sorting to eliminate rampant rot in the Pinots.