Ch Palmer @ Medlar

The Medlar, London
Tasted Tuesday, November 22, 2011 by SimonG with 572 views

Flight 1 (1 Note)

Flight 2 (3 Notes)

  • 1985 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Gorgeous nose. Very fragrant, the right blend of cedar, fruit and a ripe lushness. Elegant, restrained and just lovely. Bare *****

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  • 1978 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Similar nose to the 85, a little leaner and lighter but the same family. Good acidity, a touch of leanness/green that adds freshness. Good length. Lovely. ****1/2. By the end of the evening this is falling apart somewhat with the acidity to the fore.

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  • 1966 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Ever so slightly cloudy. Nose more muted and a little meaty with a touch of sweetness. Smooth, meaty, a soft across the mid palate and slightly old fashioned foresquare element to the fruit. ****

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Flight 3 (3 Notes)

  • 1988 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Again, family nose, this time a little sterner. Very 88. Lovely on the palate, especially attack to mid palate, long and fresh but showing some greenness. Not as good (ripe) as some 88s. Fresh and very drinkable though. ***1/2

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  • 1986 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Here surprisingly there's a slight jaminess on the nose with a minty coolness cutting across it. Good tannins but a sweetness of fruit too. Still quite tight and buttoned up. There's the fruit here for the long haul but at the moment it's two different wines lightly stitched together. ***(*)

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  • 1988 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Blind. Quite a ripe, polished nose. Again, polished across the front end and mid palate but with good acidity through the finish. far more claret like on the back end and less alcohol than I'd anticipated from the nose. Claret. Not in the same class as the Palmers on this showing. *** (the 90 at the last Palmer bash in Spring 2007 was in a different league and put many of the Palmers to shame)

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 1989 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Rich, fleshy, dense and still a babe. Still young and chewy but just starting to unfurl. Again quite tight across he mid palate and nicely dry on the finish. Complex, savoury, smooth, long and drop dead gorgeous. Continues to blossom in the glass, very sweet fruited and complex after a couple of hours as the 83 starts to dry. ****(*)

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  • 1983 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Wonderful nose. Alongside the 89 this has an extra layer of ripeness and density compared to the previous flights. Very meaty, rich and slightly blood tinged. Complex, long and moreish. Complete, the right balance of sweet fruit and savouryness. ***** Does start to dry after a couple of hours.

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Flight 5 (3 Notes)

  • 1999 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Dense, very fragrant, violet fruit. Seems more modern than the others. Starting to soften though and far less of a brute than spring 2007's bottle. Dense and fleshy but very smooth across the atatck and the palate. A little simple, and short, on the finish but hopefully it will add complexity with age. **(**?)

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  • 1996 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Lovely plush, softly velvety nose. quite focused and long with a slightly dry finish. Quite restrained, holds itself nicely in check. Should come good with a bit more age. Harmonious and balanced. ***(*)

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  • 1995 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Dense, velvety, slightly dusty fruited nose. A sense of plum. Lots on the mid palate but finishes a touch short. also a little loose knit / less ahrmonious. Two wines pushed together at the moment - will it gel? Lacks some persistance on the finish beyond the prominent mid palate. **(*1/2) to **(**) depending.

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

Closing

WOTN the 89, followed by the 83 and the 85. Honorable mentions for the 66 Graham and the 78, 66 and 96 Palmers. Fabulous consistency of house style with the vintage characteristics shining through and all the bottles showing well. Phew!

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