Moet & ChandonDom Perignon Brut 2004

Theres a sense of tension paired with grace in this deftly balanced version, with a rich and smoky vein of minerality underscoring the flavors of poached apple, honey, financier and sun-dried black cherry, showing hints of roasted almond, coffee liqueur and ground spice. Drink now through 2029.

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.

Ännu ett mästerstycke signerat Richard Geoffroy. Omisskännlig Dom Pérignonstil med oöverträffad silkighet i hela gom och munupplevelsen. Moussen är värd ett eget kapitel och elegansen är slående. Fin mineralitet och blommighet med citrusövertoner. Lite kort än så länge men tiden kommer att fylla i de små luckor som finns i livets början. Klassiskt rostad och snarlik 83:an när jag imponerad smakade den för första gången vid samma ålder som 04:an är i nu.

Very pale straw gold with surely the most discreet bubbles in the champagne world. Very different from the 2003. A much more recognisable Dom Pérignon sort of nose with fairly intense classic toastiness. Minerals and raciness rather than fruit and body. Marked acidity and even a little lean but very fine. There are notes of iodine and bitter orange peel. This wine really gets saliva flowing. The finish is not massively persistent but overall this is a very well mannered wine. A Chablis of a champagne - which 2003 definitely wasnt! (It was more of a Pouilly-Fuissé.)

A return to regular form after the wild 2003 edition, this is business as usual in terms of the composed and complex swagger that is a hallmark of Dom. Good deep autolysis here, toasty yeasty characters wrap around a wealth of grapefruit and pithy lemon citrus notes; the chardonnay rings clear as a bell at around half of the blend. The palate has assertive, driving power and fully formed deep-seated phenolic presence with a chord of acidity steering it through a long, fresh and gently nutty finish. Classic Dom is back! Best drunk around 2019.

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 2006 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.