The legendary champagne house only creates vintage wines, and 2005 was an exceptional year for them. The selection of the grapes – like Kiwi rugby players chosen to play for the All Blacks – is a tough and thoughtful process. Only the best, people, only the best. The rarity of this harvest – full of July and August sunshine – means there is only a limited quantity out there. Whatever is available must be curated, it must represent. And thus the creation of this Gastronomy Journey.

Eight of Singapore’s best restaurants have been chosen to partner with the brand, and each has created a distinct pairing dinner to match the aromas and flavours of this assertive vintage.

The eight restaurants are: Bacchanalia, Bedrock Bar & Grill, Dolce Vita, Fat Cow, Gunthers, Kaiseki Yoshiyuki, One-Ninety and Yan Ting. We were able to sample four when they presented their dishes.

We started at Kaiseki Yoshiyuki (above), which presented a starter sashimi platter of maguro, ishigare and shimaaji. The restaurant is known for its fresh produce and seasonal ingredients – shipped from Kyoto and Tsukiji Market. Seafood is an excellent companion to the Vintage 2005, the delicate flavours of the fish developed the nuanced notes of the champagne.

Our next stop was St. Regis Singapore,  where chef Tony Wun of Yan Ting served a choice of Black Peppered Smoked Beef Tataki or the Oven baked Sea Perch Fillet. I opted for the latter to continue the pescatarian process. The sauces on the dish triggered and enhanced the assured flavours of the bubbly. Glad I went with seafood dish, I had a feeling the beef might have been overpowering.

Then we proceeded to Bedrock Bar & Grill for one of my favourites, chef Isaac Tan’s award-winning Irish Oyster. Did I mention we were chauffeuered around in limos? I must have forgotten that while we were drinking champagne in the car – with me were Jade Seah and Rozz.

The oyster with salmon row and chive oil was fresh and whipsmart, the best match with the elegant Dom Perignon champagne. The bubbly has a lovely finish which lingered with the savoury dish. 

And finally we ended our sojourn at One-Ninety (Wood-Fried Steaks and Seafood, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, if you want the full breathless name.) We were treated to the Alaskan King crab and a dessert dish of apricot and yuzu chiboust, hazelnut brittle and Sicilian pistachio ice cream. Zesty? To say the least. It’s a reminder that the champagne is robust but not rigid, versatile yet not vacillitating – giving way to subtle and savoury finishes depending on the dishes it’s paired with.

Our trip ended with one final flourish – a toast to the planning. The Dom Perignon Vintage 2005 Gastronomy Journey at these eight aforementioned restaurants is available till December 30, 2015. (Plenty of time you’d reckon but best to reserve early).

Each restaurant has a specific pairing menu, and we sampled a mere a tasting portion of the whole experience. It was still quite the trip, in a you-can’t-go-wrong kinda way. But more than that, it all went more than all right, it was pretty sensational. Book your own journey now.

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