Palmer Masterclass, The Wine Emporium, Brisbane. This wine is a lovely curiosity being a blend of Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris and Loset and showing an exotic nose of lime, lemon and gooseberry with a zesty palate showing a good line and brisk finish that suggests something mid-way between a Graves and a Muscadet sur lie. Delicious on the night but ultimately an expensive Wine Options trick !

Palmer Masterclass, The Wine Emporium, Brisbane. The 2010 Alter Ego reflects the excellent year with plenty of depth to the colour and a lovely nose of dark plum preserve, dark cherries and blackcurrants with touches of cedar and earth. The palate has a spherical character with its of fruit and depth and a sneaky perfumed character on the finish which while shorter than the Grand Vin still is quite distinguished.

Palmer Masterclass, The Wine Emporium, Brisbane. This wine had a deep crimson colour with minimal lightening and showed a beautiful nose of blackcurrant, blueberry, dark cherry, lavender and earth. The palate is quite intense and tightly wound but unfurls in the mouth to reveal more texture and balance. While this is a more austere Palmer there is plenty of character and flavour to balance the austerity of the year.

Palmer Masterclass, The Wine Emporium, Brisbane. This wine had a deep crimson colour and showed a beautiful nose of blackcurrant, blueberry, dark cherry, violets and cedar. The palate was intense with more volume and texture than the 95 and a lovely length and balance. The overall impact is of a linear profile lacking that extra richness of a great Palmer but still achieving a lovely balance of fruit and savoury length.

Palmer Masterclass, The Wine Emporium, Brisbane. This wine is a reprise of a bottle served at our wine group dinner the previous week despite coming directly from the Palmer cellars. It has a deep and dense crimson tour and a striking nose of blackcurrants, dark cherries, liquorice dark chocolate and violets with cedar touches. The palate is rich and round with a lovely texture and length that makes this wine so complete. There is a sneaky rich cherry element that persists alongside the fine tannins and cedar finish. This is a beautiful bottle of wine.

Palmer Masterclass, The Wine Emporium, Brisbane. The 2009 has a deep and dense dark crimson colour with a nose that grabs your attention with ripe blackcurrants, dark cherries, blueberry preserve, dark chocolate with violets, cedar and touches of tobacco. The palate is rich and mouth filling and has plenty of texture and tannin but not the same compelling drive that is seen in the 05. This is an immediate heart stealer but when served with the 05 and 10 there remains a question about that length of finish and where this wine will be in 20 years ( if it lasts that long in the cellar ! ).

Palmer Masterclass, The Wine Emporium, Brisbane. The 2010 is a deep and dark crimson colour with a subdued nose that with coaxing reveals a similar striking elegance and complexity as seen in the 05 with blackcurrants, dark cherries, blueberries, dark chocolate and violets and a cedar spicy touch. The palate is quite strict and restrained yet the rich texture and persistent fruit that continues right through into the persistent finish again suggests the 05. This a beautiful wine with a long future ahead - an 05, 09, 10 dinner in 10 years should be a treat !