Wine Workshop: Chateau Palmer

It is probably true that the most memorable moment for me of Palmer will always be when the former Somm from Berns called it out as 'the only third growth we will be tasting tonight' to an event we brought it to many years ago. And so I will start with in case you didn't know Palmer is a third growth. And perhaps a good example of how a classification system from 1855 might or might not accurately reflect today. Wines were generally drinking well (minus a corked 1997 - and if you were going to sacrifice a wine to the corking gods that seems like the right one to pick).

• NV Champagne Suenen Champagne Grand Cru C + C Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Opening bubbles with passed hors d oeuvres (which were probably some of the tastiest bites of the night). This was in a truly great spot right out of the gate. A favorite producer of mine. The bubbles just seem to melt. Very light and easy and yet still interesting. Love this producer.

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Tarte Flambee
alsatian thin crust, onions & bacon

• 2001 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  From a magnum. Very much the pretty more muted version of 2001 vs. 2000 which is always interesting to see how it shows itself in different wines. In the case of Palmer I liked them both but this is certainly all about the softness. Still more primary in nature and quite young (although of course not as much as the 2018). Darker fruits.

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• 2000 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  From a magnum. Side by side with the 2001 and there was a split in the group on preference. I'm going to say I liked them both. Definitely more fruit here, more concentration, but then there was this almost green like note that I got in this wine which gave it a bit more balance. Enjoyable. Don't think it's ready or near ready yet but it was fun to check in and it's not quite as far away as it used to be.

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• 1999 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Being contrarian I'm going to say this was my favorite of the flight but a lot of that was because it's the most ready to drink right now (the other two would still benefit from age). This isn't going anywhere but I'm not sure it's getting significantly better either. Dark fruits with nice balance. Less vibrancy than '01 and '02 but more secondary which was good. Drinking nicely.

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Selection of 3 Pate
pate en croute, pork rillettes, & country pate

• 1998 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This needed a bit more time to open up in the glass. First impression was a bit shy especially compared to some others in the flight but once it had some air it became a lot rounder and more inviting. Very plushy in style. Well balanced. I imagine may benefit from some more time.

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• 1997 Château Palmer Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Unfortunate but this is exactly the bottle in this tasting I would have chosen to sacrifice.

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• 1996 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Also very pretty and plushy in style. It's darker berries. Lots of life left to it. Drinks very well.

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• 1995 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Not corked but not entirely ok. The nose didn't smell quite right. Tasting it the wine tastes fine, but if I had to guess it's not exactly right. Had a touch of bitterness I wouldn't expect.

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Poulet Roti
french fries & cooking jus

• 1990 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Awesome. Similar to the 2000 and 2001 debate we had a few flights ago. This was just super - all dark fruit, very juicy in style, beautiful style of wine. I really enjoyed it. A lot of people were blown away by the '89 but I'm not sure I can say which is the better wine. Both delicious.

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• 1989 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  One of the group's favorites and some people were almost ready to call it the favorite of the tasting only a few flights in. This was also really lovely. More red fruits, touch of spice. Biggest difference between this and the '90 though is it lacked that 'juicy' quality to it. Still tasty wine though.

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• 1983 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Not a ton of love for this wine across the group and I can agree that it's probably not the absolute best bottle of this but it was still drinking well. It's more dried fruit, potpourri. Secondary in style. Still tasty though.

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Skirt Steak
green beans & bordelaise sauce

• 1979 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Not the necessarily best wine in the grouping but this is a birth year wine in our family so it's one that I'm always trying to nice wines from and this is definitely a nice wine. More age and again more dried fruits. Well structured. Touch less vibrancy than the standout vintages but still quite tasty (and probably the most affordable of what we were drinking).

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• 1978 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Popular sleeper vintage in Bordeaux and this held up with that. It's mostly leather although there's a nice background of black fruits to it. Much more age character at this point as well. But nice to see we have some coming as this drinks well.

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• 1975 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Good old Bordeaux. A lot of folks felt like this had graduated to straight up library but for me it was still hanging on to the fruit and hadn't quite gotten to the old musty style. Drinks well.

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• 1970 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A surprise for me in this tasting. I do think of 1970 as being one of the more drinkable years of Bordeaux but I don't think of anything from that decade being a truly great wine and this was much closer to great than just drinkable. Very fresh, lots of black fruits, the slight green/earthy notes you might get from a crisp spring day outdoors. Very nice.

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• 1966 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  And now we are into the super flight. This was one of the first Bordeaux that I ever had an 'aha' moment with and so it's a wine that holds a special place. It's a wow wine again - more dried fruits, intense style, vibrant and drinking great. A nice way to ease into these last four wines that are so special.

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• 1964 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A vintage that probably doesn't get enough credit since it always seems like I like the wines that I have from it. Lovely and softer style of wine. Not as vibrant as the 66, but it did open up more with time in the glass. Drinking well.

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• 1961 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  The showstopper. It's caramel apple and spice and herbal and sweetness and maybe even sweet tea. Drinking super super well. A wine that does make you want to take notice.

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• 1959 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A still truly wonderful and excellent wine and for some preferred to the '61. Leaner on the fruit, much more herbal style characteristics. Someone likened it to well aged cheese and I can see the comparison. Drinks well though.

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• NV Château Palmer Historical XIXth Century Blend L.20.04.

  France, Vin de Table Français

  Fun to get to try this although it was a bit hard on the heels of the older more mature wines and at a point in the night where I was probably tasting a bit less well. Big and intense and lots of black fruits and some sweet tea leaves. A wine that needs a long time it seems like. We have some of the 20.10 and my takeaway is don't touch the first bottle before 30+ years.

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• 2018 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  This was just too much on the heels of all of the really lovely and well aged wines. If I force myself to take a step back I can see the appeal and why critics would be so excited. It has that character that I understand to have been true of the 1982s when they came out. This is big and dense and intense and should have a long and fruitful life ahead (one critic noted 70 years which would be lovely but then no one at our table is likely to be alive). Very intense and dense.

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The 1961 was otherworldly. Each flight in fact improved upon the previous one (except for perhaps the truly last one which had younger wines). It was an interesting exercise in younger to older or older to younger and I think in this case we were best served with the younger to older so that the night generally got better and better (it was also a hotly debated topic at the table although everyone was perhaps saying the same thing).

Lovely evening as always by David and the Wine Workshop. Didn't make enough of these events this season but at least have another one in a few weeks.