Dinner at home with TH, the girls & 3 Palmers

At home, Hong Kong
Tasted Friday, December 11, 2020 by ilee with 56 views

Introduction

With Mr. and Mrs. TH coming to dinner, I thought we'd do something fun. So, I got 3 bottles together for a mini Ch Palmer vertical. I'd been waiting a long time to open these, and it seemed as good an excuse as any. I wrapped all the bottles in identical tin foil, and Mrs L switched them around a dozen times, so nobody knew which was what. But after the initial swirls and sips, we all guessed pretty quickly!

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 1970 Château Palmer 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Medium ruby, with an orange rim. Faintly pleasant nose of dried flowers, red berries and dusty gravel road. Light-medium body, with just enough fruit to tease and tickle the palate a little. Most of the wine's tannins have melted away, as has a lot of its alcohol, leaving just a sliver of earthy complexity that floats away all too quickly in the finish. And as the evening wore on, the wine quietly collapsed into a heap of ancient grape juice. This was my last bottle. Goodbye 1970 Palmer old friend, it's been a fun journey.

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  • 1983 Château Palmer 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Dark ruby color, with amber on the edge. Pleasant if understated bouquet of summer flowers, so very Palmer, with notes of red fruit, old leather and ash. Medium bodied, with fine ripe fruit flavors and still finer tannins that give this wine a sheen of elegance as the finish dances on in the palate. A beautiful wine, but past its prime I think.

    This was one of a few treasured bottles I had pushed far into the dark reaches of my wine fridges to lay undisturbed for over 15 years. Perhaps I waited too long? Will drink up the rest.

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  • 1989 Château Palmer 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    This was the winner of the evening. Dark intense ruby color, with rich fumes of dark berries, lilac, violets, lavender, hot rocks and tar on the nose. On the palate, this wine is concentrated and intense for its age. The fruit is ripe, tightly packed and interwoven with fine tannins, like the subtle stitching on a well tailored suit. And on the way down the hatch, the wine leaves a long silky finish in its wake.

    This is my first bottle of this, and I'm glad to have a few more. It's enjoyable now, but I'm guessing its peak lies 5-10 years ahead.

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