René Gabriel
99: Barrel sample (18/20): Spicy bouquet shaped by Cabernet, lilac, blueberries, a hint of mint; very dense with deep, profound aromatic potential. Full, dense palate, licorice spice in a very blueberry-driven profile; not as refined as Château Margaux, yet radiating just as much power and extraction. Good framework and an almost bourgeois texture, lots of aftertaste, great potential. Since 1989, finally a truly great Palmer again!
00: Dense bouquet smelling of elderberry, Black Currant and lots of blackberries. Firm on the palate, compact texture, a chestnut note in the intense finish (18/20).
04: At the moment in an obviously difficult phase: glutamate and chicken bouillon paste, stewed plums; slightly sweaty, with underlying animal notes on the nose, almost reminiscent of a Côte-Rôtie. Jammy fruit on the palate; certain Cabernet lots give a gently candy-like feel and a slightly green edge. In earlier tastings it was always at a better level, so this may have been a slightly faulty bottle.
07: The evolution is positive. I found it a Palmer that can still gain a lot, showing a lovely truffly depth; the potential is considerable, so it’s worth looking out for this wine, still trading at fairly attractive prices. First real drinking window only in about 5 years. Could then gain another point!
08: Developing garnet-purple, a delicate rim of maturity. Earthy bouquet, subtly a bit unclean—or artisanal, depending on interpretation: sweaty animal hide, a rather vulgar Cabernet tone, Brettanomyces. On the palate, that unclean, old-cask note is again apparent; the tannins would actually be beautiful and the build is right, but the underlying aromas ultimately leave rather mixed impressions. Potential rating: 18/20.
09: Dark, bright garnet with a purple sheen. Packed, spicy, and surprisingly concentrated bouquet, drawing mulberry-like and dark precious-wood aromas from impressive depth; it opens only slowly with air, showing its youth. Elegant and powerful at once on the palate, very balanced astringency; the aromatics stay black-berry-driven and the finish shows fine smoky notes, again proving its depth. Can gain another point at its drinking peak. (18/20).
10: Surprisingly dark with virtually no signs of maturity. Big red-plum bouquet showing a dreamlike milk-chocolate sweetness, just on the edge of compote. Burgundy-like palate, with a seductive perfume at its core; somewhat reserved, which may also hint at underestimated potential. Still only at the starting line—those who wait another 10 years will be rewarded.
11: Tasted again in June. Deep purple-garnet. Starts spicy with lots of mulberries and fine smoky notes, licorice; highly aromatic with a delicate sweetness in the background. On the palate, still showing demanding substance, but then becoming finer—charm and elegance with lots of aftertaste. It has steadily improved over recent years and could become a successor to the brilliant 1985.
11: I almost lost it at a Wine & Dine at the Belvoir in Zurich. If I think about what the next five Palmer vintages are like, one should buy as much as possible right now. (19/20).
13: Another fantastic bottle while playing cards at Martin Merz’s. It clearly outlasted the totally closed Haut-Brion 2001. (19/20).
16: Magnum. Very dark garnet and still very young, with a rich, dense core. The bouquet is brilliant: black-berry fruit, profound depth with lots of spice, still carrying plenty of primary aromas; floral with lots of blueberries. Highly aromatic palate, a lovely Cabernet tendency in the core aromatics, very finely showing a slightly underripe tendency. A reassuring, underestimated Palmer. A “surprisig schöne” magnum! This wine is worth seeking out; it is (still) selling below its value. (19/20).
17: Served blind; I didn’t recognize it as Palmer and suspected it could be a Saint Emilion. Sweet, multi-layered bouquet, wonderful plum tones; beneath that, green-spicy Cabernet traces true to the vintage, complemented by licorice. Elegant, juicy palate with a wonderfully long finish. Quite similar in character to the 1985. (19/20).
17: Brightening garnet, relatively broad rim. Brilliant bouquet: floral, mulberries, red cherries. On the second pass it shows incredibly fresh, perfumed contours. On the palate juicy, elegant, long and absolutely harmonious, aromatic, finishing for a long time on blue-fruit notes. As always with great Palmer, the flavor distance to a great Burgundy isn’t far. This one reminds me of a Nuits-Cailles. This is how Bordeaux should be: not thick and overpowering, but gentle and noble. It probably wouldn’t be hard to drink a whole bottle of this great Margaux on one’s own! No need to decant; once opened, it gets going right away. It also went down very well with the “männrige” table group. (19/20).
18: Deep purple, still quite youthful in color. The bouquet feels incredibly youthful: mulberries, Cassis, wild raspberries, light precious woods and a touch of cedar—multi-layered and perfumed. The palate is elegant, soft, with a velvety texture; beautifully balanced and harmonious from A to Z. A real 1998 delicacy. But Gabriel has known that for a long time, as it has been on a solid “19-point course” with me for years. Serious, but by no means unapproachable. (19/20).
19: Magnum. Astonishingly dark color, deep garnet with almost black reflections in the center. Already during decanting the room smelled intensely of wild raspberries. The bouquet is simply brilliant. Still conveying lots of blackberry and Cassis, black peppercorns, licorice, vanilla pod and dark chocolate. Second pass: prunes and dried venison. Even on the nose, this incredible Palmer sits far above vintage expectations. On the palate extremely fine, with silky tannins. Highly aromatic, almost perfumed, showing its legendary mulberry touch. Documentarily long, with a tightly bundled finish. This is one of the finest, coolest Palmers in its more recent history. A wine for unhurried emotions! Imagining drinking a bottle alone has nothing to do with alcoholism, but with a pronounced longing for pleasure. Drink, dream, stagger! (19/20).
20: Drunk at Martin Merz’s. A gorgeous Palmer beauty!!! (19/20).
21: Medium wine-red, relatively transparent, a brightening, lightly matured rim. Spicy, cozy, calming, dark-berry, multi-layered bouquet, showing plenty of aromatics with prunes, violet and Cassis. On the palate, great length, beautifully balanced, conveying a nuanced Cabernet note. The finish feels longer than the nose would have suggested. Here Palmer shows surprising quality in not-so-easy vintages. Great fun at a high level—now and likely for another 20 years. For me, it’s among the best wines of the vintage on the Left Bank. (19/20).
21: Brightening wine-red with a transparent rim. Brilliant, Burgundy-leaning bouquet, delicately animal and mineral hints, combined with plenty of red-to-blue fruit, towards mulberries and blackcurrants. Second pass: bast wood, cedar and Dominican tobacco. On the palate, dancing and gallant. If you slurp it, you can coax out the fascinating, typical Palmer perfume. In the finish it somehow tastes like Burgundy again. The great vintages of this noble super-Troisième sometimes recall a Musigny at full maturity; here you’re reminded of a Chambertin. Overall rather light to medium-bodied—no criticism, but a characteristic, comparable to a dancing Margaux prima ballerina. I recently carried out a full case of 12 for 225 francs from a private cellar—an absolute bargain. Now there are only eleven bottles left. Still! (19/20).
Guaranteed provenanceDirect from the estates
DeliveryFree Home delivery for orders exceeding €300
