SINGAPORE — Compared to the previous year’s vintage, which had to deal with erratic weather, creating the Dom Perignon 2004 vintage champagne was a walk in the park. Well, almost.

“The weather for 2004 was good and disease free,” explained the brand’s oenologist Vincent Chaperon. This afforded the wine a natural balance — nuanced and precise, the 2004 vintage is clearly the sum of perfectly consistent parts.

But this also meant the equally demanding task of sculpting a star vintage from the inside out, explained Richard Geoffrey, Dom Perignon’s chef de cave. The result is an edgy assemblage of perfectly balanced chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. In contrast to the huge amount of pinot noir used in 2003 (65 per cent) to balance that year’s concentrated chardonnay, only 53 per cent of pinot noir was needed to determine the 2004’s harmonious temper, complete with the brand’s signature minerality. Having had the opportunity to be one of the first to taste it (Singapore is the first official launch outside of Champagne), I can add that it remains a complex yet melodious character that peaks with lovely umami. And still it manages to remain crisp, with a savoury and persistent poise that lingers to the very end. DON MENDOZA

The Dom Perignon Vintage 2004 (from S$200) is available at all premium wine

retail outlets.