The rendezvous was given for Monday, January 21, 2010 with the chef David Bouley in his restaurant, on the initiative of Brian Platton, during Thomas Duroux's visit. Brian Platton, a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux in New York and a wine enthusiast, had brought together a select group of friends to enjoy 19 vintages of Château Palmer.
George Sape was also present. Maitre de la Commanderie de Bordeaux in New York and a knowledgeable collector, George Sape is well known among wine enthusiasts for his admirable collection of tasting notes that he publishes each year. Here are his tasting notes for his preferred vintages of Château Palmer :
2005, Ch. Palmer -
Too young to really appreciate what this wine will be, it is already impressive; the initial nose is sweet and very deep, the key aromas are loaded with licorice and charred wood, roasted aromas of coffee beans, then more floral and perfumed, complex and deep, gripping aromas; sweet and intensely focused in the mouth and surprisingly approachable in this its youth; very concentrated flavors, powerful tar-laced fruits, spicy and peppery; this is an intense and deep wine and when it achieves maturity, could well place among the best from this property.
2000, Ch. Palmer -
Deep and intense nose, lots of tar and licorice, deep and floral, but at the same time the aromas are perfumed and floral, lots of aromatic fruit with black fruits dominant; sweet in the mouth with smooth and intense black fruit flavors; smooth and silky although this wine is still pretty closed; there is a lot of wine underneath the flavors available at this time; sweet tannins; quite structured and focused; a big finish with powerful infusions of fruit, but still compressed and restrained; needs more time, but will be great.
1989, Ch. Palmer -
A difficult wine to rate at this stage; initially the nose was a bit musty and barnyardy with strong elements of sour mash, but then there appear more perfumed red fruit and sweet spice aromas, licorice, tar, a bit perfumed but still pretty restrained; surprisingly tight in the mouth, quite closed at this point; powerful flavors that have mostly earth-tinged black fruits, but this wine is tightly wound on itself at this time; some licorice; despite the tightness, the texture of the wine is smooth and silky, with peppery and dry elements at the end.
1986, Ch. Palmer -
Sweet, ripe and aromatic with a complex of scents that mostly reflect black cherries, tobacco, and cassis, but also some hints of earth and slightly roasted scents or coffee bean; lots of black fruit in the mouth; smooth and silky, quite intense though with a powerful core of tannins that are still quite aggressive; this is a muscular wine with a powerful grip; the finish is still immature with a plethora dry red fruit flavors that tend to dry out the mouth and don't impart much flavor other than peppery elements; needs more time to emerge.
1985, Ch. Palmer -
Ripe and rich, smoky and spiced aromas, with caramel, chocolate, and mocha aromas, black pepper, and deeply scented sweet black fruits; sweet, smooth, silky and beautifully polished textures; first rich black fruit flavors and then boosted with the addition of red fruit freshness; this wine borders on the opulent, but manages to stay in balance throughout; perfectly balanced and integrated, this is turning out to be one of the wines of the vintage along with its neighbor Ch. Margaux.
1979, Ch. Palmer -
This wine was a real surprise for me, as I was unfamiliar with this vintage; really good nose, sweet and perfumed, quite floral and aromatic with herbs and minerals on the one hand and the traditional darker aromas of tar and earth on the other, chocolate, sweet spices, and a soft acidity round out a complete and full nose; drier in the mouth than Palmer often produces, but the focus in this wine is on red fruits rather than black; there is a nice balance in this wine, and it is full if a little simple at the finish.
1970, Ch. Palmer -
One of the better '70s, this wine opens with a deep sweet nose showing lots of perfumed black cherry, blackberry aromas, smoky and intense with earthen and sour mash aromas; smooth and ripe in the mouth with pure crystalline flavors; mostly red fruits at this time, with the black fruit flavors now in remission but the wine does not lose any of its balance as a consequence; the flavors are now drier and more focused than when this wine was younger, but the wine retains a freshness and focus that is surprising at this age.
1966, Ch. Palmer -
A most elegant vintage, a sweet and ripe nose with elegant and refined aromas, smoky nose, deep and complex with a cascade of aromas that are largely defined by perfumed and somewhat floral red fruit aromas, light but refined aromas define this wine; smooth and ripe in the mouth with wonderfully silky and refined flavors; this vintage produced lighter but more elegant wines than some around it; sweet fruit with a understated flavor that never recedes; smooth and silky at the finish with wafting red fruit flavors.
1964, Ch. Palmer (mag.) -
A vintage better known on the Right Bank, Palmer produced one of the top wines; wonderful nose, sweet and elegant with a powerful red fruit presence on the nose that suggest crabapples, lightly earthen with refined, refreshing aromas with a slight citrus lilt but an undercurrent of blueberry aromas; sweet and very pure in the mouth; fresh and refreshing flavors; like with the '66 the dominant presence is from red fruits, with only a suggestion of sweeter black fruits; this results in a sweet but restrained and pure; a translucent wine with very refined flavors.
1928, Ch. Palmer -
Two bottles from different sources were served, but they were close; a very pure and clean nose with complex aromas, tobacco leaf, green tea, bright red fruits with chocolate and mocha with a slightly wooden background; dry red fruits with fresh flavors; cranberry and crabapple; smooth and elegant, but complete and well defined with characteristic Ch. Palmer flavors; the powerful tannins that this vintage had in its youth are evident, and while softened now, they still exert a powerful pull on the palate; while this wine may have lost a step or two over the years, it is still a powerful statement.
