1996 Château Palmer

Community Tasting Notes (198) Avg Score: 92.5 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View djhammond's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/1/2024 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points

  This is an often overlooked vintage of Palmer, which is just starting to shine. The nose and palate are first rate with all the typical qualities of a Palmer. However, I find the finish is on the harsher side, and prevents a higher rating, and I am not convinced that this will be resolved with time.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mclanew's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/28/2024 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Decanted two hours. This has improved with time and air. This has an amazing nose of red fruit, lead pencil and tobacco. The palate is full to medium bodied showing black current, herbs and smoke with a long finish. This will continue to improve.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Cailles's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/6/2024 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points

  Margaux Extravaganza: Margaux vs. Palmer vs. Brane over two decades (1996/2009/2015). Given the pedigree of the vintages, particularly for Chateau Margaux, expectations were quite high, but especially the last two vintages didn't live up to past performances (I've previously rated Ch. Margaux up to 100pts, Ch. Margaux 2015 up to 99pts, and Palmer 2009 98pts) at first. There were some overripe aromas that were too prominent and an uncharacteristic imbalance. Of course, Ch. Margaux and Palmer showed remarkable complexity and precision, but the balance was a bit off. Still, these are some good to great wines, especially on day 2 and with more air they got better and better. Ultimately, Ch. Margaux 2015 (96pts) was the winner with its unique aromatic profile, slightly outperforming the 1996 and 2009 vintages, both at 95pts. Brane and Palmer were a notch or two below, with the Palmer 2015 particularly affected by premature oxidation. I don't doubt the potential of these wines, given the many fine examples I had last year, but I wouldn't open them today.
  
  TN: My first encounter with this vintage. On the positive side, this had a lovely red berry core, with minerality, herbal notes, as well as some smoke and coffee to complement. On the negative side, there were some not so pleasant vegetal notes (not the good kind) and the wine showed quite rustic and even a touch green. 92/93pts.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Benoit Hardy's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/21/2024 - Benoit Hardy wrote: 93 Points

  Evolved nose of blackcurrant, cigar, graphite, cedar and undergrowth. No doubt, the well-born mature Bordeaux is present.
  
  Beautiful palate, on a register combining elegance and finesse. It is true that it is neither the deepest nor the most demonstrative Bordeaux that I have been able to drink, but we quickly understand that it is neither the style nor the goal of this wine to assert itself completely. in power. Silky, textured juice, delicate acidity and gentle complexity between black fruits, cigar, and perfectly integrated wood, we have here a wine of crazy elegance. Beautiful balance which allows the wine to envisage a serene future. Great finish shared between graphite and menthol, which stretches over a nice fresh and sapid length.
  
  Beautiful Bordeaux, what a pleasure!

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Esben (og jens) vinrum's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/15/2024 - Esben (og jens) vinrum Likes this wine: 94 Points

  A wine that makes me understand the note “cigar box”.
  The wine is very elegant with these darker notes of cigar box, graphite, blackcurrant and etc.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

View all 198 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.