Last night was "half bottle night" at a local restaurant . We took full advantage of the situation. The Palmer was dark ruby red almost all the way to the edge. The flavor profile was somewhat elusive until the wine opened up in our Vinum glasses. After ten minutes or so the flavors welled up like a springhead- bright red fruits, cassis, and a touch of brown spice cake. There are no rough edges here. Tannins and alcohol are present, but not overwhelming in any way. Elegant, yet substantive. You could wait on this one safely for a few more years without worry as there is plenty of stuffing to last a while. 92 points.
Posts: 676 | Location: Baltimore, MD, USA | Registered: May 09, 2003
There's a pile of 88s behind my bed! Sadly, they are my brother's but he says that the last one he had was nowhere near ready. Suspect there's a hell of a lot of life in the 96s.
"Killer Bees, imagine having such a natural phenomenom"
Decanted for 2 hours and drank after a disappointing 1997 Pichon Lalande. Gorgeous deep garnet color with a hedonistic nose of dark cherries dipped in chocolate. Silky texture with dark fruit being in nice balance with the tannins and notes of pencil shavings, stawberry, grilled meat and dark chocolate. Nice finish and drinking surprisingly soft and elegant. We polished this off quickly, maybe too quickly. 93gg points.
I enjoyed this wine last fall and though it's very good, it's still a puppy. This wine has many years before reaching maturity, and the ones I have remaining in my cellar will sleep another 5-10 years.