Dom Perignon Champagne Brut 2005 750ml Case of 6

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. (Suckling)

#90 TOP 100 CELLAR SELECTIONS 2015. With some age, this is a gloriously ripe and toasty wine. It has a rich character emphasized by the round texture and the creamy mousse. It also has great concentration, bringing together acidity as well as dense secondary flavors. With its rich, mature character, it is best suited for food. It is ready to drink, but will hold well through 2025.

A rich version in an elegant, finely knit frame, with a streak of smoky minerality underscoring the flavors of clover honey, patisserie apple, blackberry and biscuit. Creamy in texture and persistent, with a long, sculpted finish. Drink now through 2030.

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.

This is another example where the slightly extra freshness of the magnum format is noticeable compared to the 750 ml version. I've never been a huge fan of the 2005 vintage in Champagne as it's more of a perfectly good to very good vintage rather than an excellent one. No matter, the '05 Dom is lovely with good freshness to the ever-so-slightly vaguely exotic nose of baked apple and yeasty warm bread along with ripe aromas of pear, citrus confit, especially orange, and a whiff of crushed anise. On the plus side, there is both excellent volume and richness to the delicious, round and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that are supported by a mousse that is sufficiently firm to maintain the balance on the nicely complex finish. On the less interesting side, 2005 is not an especially elegant vintage for Dom even though I would certainly help someone in need and drink it anytime! I would note that even in magnum format, for my taste this is drinking well now and while it will certainly hold effortlessly, I don't see a lot of upside potential in extended keeping. Tasted twice this year in this format with consistent results.