An unreal tasting of Château Palmer and Château Margaux with Thomas Duroux of Palmer

Thomas Duroux, the GM of Chateau Palmer, was in LA visiting Jeff Leve. To honor his visit, Jeff organized a simply amazing tasting featuring as many great vintages of Palmer and Margaux as we could gather. The tasting was held over a fabulous meal in the courtyard at Spago, and after a slightly disjointed start (too long between the first red wine flight and accompanying food) the service flowed perfectly. The food was wonderful and never overwhelmed or clashed with the evening of remarkable Bordeaux, lots of mushrooms and wine friendly sauces. Really well done by the kitchen!

I always love the little courses at the start of a Spago meal. All I recall this time was the sesame-tuile/tuna cone and the fact that everything was delicious and matched perfectly with the 1990 Dom.

• 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon

  France, Champagne

  Rich, yeasty, a bit smoky, very powerful, a simply lovely example and probably the best 1990 Dom I have had. This was just terrific with a series of appetizers.

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Served with Ahi Tuna with a ragout of morel mushrooms, crawfish, and red wine-shellfish emulsion.

• 1921 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A kinky nose, exotic, bright, cotton candy and sandalwood. Just an absolute joy to smell. The palate shows more cola and a lot of acid. Not much tannin or heft left any more. This was my preferred wine of the flight, as that nose alone was a unique treat.

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• 1928 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Mint, a hint of balsamic, some smoke, nuts and even a little cologne all waft from the glass. The palate was less generous, and while it put on weight the flavors were mostly tart cranberry and minerals.

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Served with a delectable wild mushroom risotto.

• 1959 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Smoky, sultry, WOW what a nose!!! Mmm, the palate entry is spicy, cedar, some Asian Five Spice, very sharp and intense. And as intense as it was when you first sipped it, this was utterly seamless across the palate, unreal, just unreal texture. This was my preferred wine of the flight, and wow what a treat!!!

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• 1961 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This was a Berry Brothers Rudd bottling, and there was some debate about the authenticity and whether it had been 'freshened' at some point in its life. The cork certainly looked pretty legitimate, and had 1961 Château Palmer emblazoned on it. Oh my, the color in the glass is unreal, still very dark. Candy, cassis and plum pudding come forth from the glass. Black fruit on the palate and a hint of tangerine. Quite tannic still. Although it did pick up some spice on the nose that was reminiscent of the other vintages, this bottle really did have a different personality.

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Served with wood-oven roasted veal rack with puree of blood orange, roasted white asparagus, pearl onions and natural juice.

• 1966 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This was one of the top 5 wines of the night in my book. It simply exploded from the glass. Sharp, spicy, and very exciting with a hint of smoke and graphite. Wow and I really mean WOW!!!

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• 1970 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  More closed than the 1966. Some orange peel on the nose. This improved, but it was always pretty tannic and chewy. Given the reputation of the wine, it was safe to say this was not a great example.

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Served with slow-roasted pork belly with porcini mushrooms, brook cherries and parmesan polenta. In this flight it was interesting how much the 1983's towered over the 1982's.

• 1982 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A little musty at first. Not a great nose. The palate was powerful, rather dry, with cedar and cranberry. Rather rustic in fact and more reminiscent of the 1986 Margaux. Not as fine as a bottle of 1982 Margaux enjoyed the prior evening. In hindsight, reading my notes now, one wonders if there was very faint TCA in this bottle? The description certainly sounds that way, although I know we were looking for it and couldn't find it.

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• 1982 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Served from magnum. Fairly mute and a bit musky. Big, round, black fruit, with some tobacco. Pleasant but not at the level of many other vintages of Palmer.

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• 1983 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Mmm, a bit of horse here. Dense and powerful. This was a strong example of 1983 Margaux albeit one with a rustic edge to it.

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• 1983 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This was my wine of the flight. A sexy, kinky and spicy nose. Wowza, there is a little bretty funk here as well, but it is quickly overtaken by some sharper notes of flint/gunpowder. Wow, the balance on this wine is impeccable, and the 1983 Margaux looks dry and tannic in comparison. This is drinking very young and very beautifully.

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Served with Carpenter Ranch squab with Cipollini onion-fennel soubise, dry-fried string beans and Port-licorice reduction.

• 1989 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Again, a Palmer is my favorite wine of the flight. Sharp, spicy, with some cinnamon red-hots, just a kickass nose. The palate shows rust, mineral, and spice, but this was young and intense with some beef blood. Mmm, there is a nice edginess to this wine with excellent acidity, really a very fine 1989 and a top Palmer to be sure.

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• 1985 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  The nose shows some soy sauce and otherwise is not terribly expressive. The palate however is gorgeous, ready and round. Clearly the most 'ready' and drinkable of the flight. Really nice.

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• 1986 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This was my third taste of this wine in the past 4 months, and I am a fan. It is a brawny style of Margaux, chewy, minty, rustic and powerful. In this evening of Margaux paired with top vintages of the supremely elegant Palmer, this was a bit of a brute. Better to have it on its own with a bloody piece of meat I think.

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• 1990 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A very ripe nose. Lots of caramel. Lots of horsey brett and I mean a LOT of brett. This is a sultry, ripe wine, but prior tastes of this have been much more nuanced. I don't know if this bottle had seen some heat, but it was not a great example of what 1990 Margaux can be.

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Served with Sonoma lamb loin with ragout of white beans, chanterelles, pearl onions and parsely-sage gremolata.

• 1995 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Vitamin pill on the nose. Round with black fruit on the palate. There is still some nice structure here, but this is a bit rough and a bit grainy, not the silken power of the great vintages of Palmer.

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• 1996 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This was a step up from the 1995 Palmer. Nice vibrancy with a hint of pine resin on the nose. Very powerful with better balance. Mmm, pretty drinkable and lovely.

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• 1995 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Mmm, a nice initial impression: powerful with good minerality. However, ultimately this was very closed and tight, not very rewarding.

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• 1996 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Well, this was the first flight where my favorite was a Margaux instead of a Palmer. This 1996 was lovely with crushed raspberry and intense floral notes. Loads of minerality on the palate. This is very tight, but it is exceptionally elegant.

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Served with Prime NY steak with swiss chard and "pommes aligot".

• 2000 Château Margaux 100 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Well hello wine of the night. OMFG, this is just crazy and totally off the charts. Loaded with chicory and graphite. I have no idea how such a young wine can be so expressive, complex and explosive. I was amazed at how open and rewarding this was. In the past I have been wowed by the 2000 Pavie and the 2000 Ausone, but this Margaux is right there or better as one of the best 2000's. Just unreal and a legend in the making.

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• 1999 Château Margaux

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Smoky and somewhat reminiscent of the gorgeous 2000 in flavor profile but without the same stuffing or balance. Still, this is a pretty round and delicious vintage of Margaux that is quite gorgeous in its youth.

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• 2000 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Leather, cedar, and just stunningly, crushingly tannic. Not a pleasant wine at this stage in its evolution.

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• 1999 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Mmm, this is clearly quite closed yet intense and rich with cranberry and mineral. This is a great Palmer in the making, although it is extremely tight and wound up right now.

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Served with a selection of artisinal cheeses with toasted walnut bread and infinity chocolate gratin with sauteed cherries.

• 1999 Sine Qua Non Sémillon Mr. K Vin De Paille

  USA, California

  Wowza, talk about an intense and syrupy wine. A little goes a long way here. I have only had the Mr. K wines a couple of times, and they remind me of the Krachers but without the same acidity and precision those offer. Still, the 'heft' of this one is impressive.

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Thank you Jeff for organizing a truly memorable and special tasting. And thanks to all of the attendees for stepping up with such remarkable wines.