Château Palmer 2006

The dense ruby/purple-hued 2006 Palmer reveals sweet aromas of melted licorice, underbrush, toast, plums, and black cherries. Outstanding density, a medium- to full-bodied style, and a personality that recalls 1996, this blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot possesses moderately high tannins as well as plenty of aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028.

Coffee, plum and spices on the nose follow through to a full body, with lovely fruit and a soft, silky-textured finish. Very balanced and beautiful, with lots of violet, new wood and richness. Long. Needs time. Best after 2015.

This was another maligned Bordeaux vintage, and there was certainly enough rain in September and early October to cause concern. But Cabernet Sauvignon ripens late, and could be picked after the October rain. Tannins can be tough, but the vintage would be more highly regarded had it not followed the superb 2005. Palmer produced a beautiful wine with sweet juicy blackcurrant aromas that are perfumed and lifted. Fortunately the tannins are refined, and the palate overall is poised and balanced, showing ripe black fruits and fine balancing acidity. The long finish assures further ageing potential.

A few hours in the decanter added a lot to the wine, softening the tannins and adding body and roundness to the texture. The fruit is refined, the nose is complex, and there is good length. This is starting to open, but it’s still young. Give it several more years and this should be quite charming.

The 2006 Palmer is outstanding, with terrific complexity in its black cherry, cedar wood, spice, forest floor and truffle aromas and flavors. Made from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, it has medium to full-bodied richness, an elegant, seamless texture, and still present tannins that emerge on the finish, all boding well for another 15+ years of prime drinking.

Dark garnet-purple, ruby rim. Discreet, very fine bouquet, still restrained, with lovely depth, black berries, licorice, tar nuances. Firm, substantial palate, showing plenty of flesh in a delicately sweet extract, firmly integrated tannins and acidity, broad in scope, a reassuring, non-speculative Palmer with great class and just as much potential.

56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot. 37 hl/ha. Dark garnet-purple, ruby rim. Discreet, very fine bouquet, still restrained, showing lovely depth, black berries, licorice, tar nuances. Firm, fleshy palate, showing plenty of meat in the delicately sweet extract, tightly knit tannins and acidity, broad in scope, a reassuring, non-speculative Palmer with great class and equally patient potential. (18/20). 18: Very dark purple with a final lilac sheen, dense core. The bouquet is closed yet still conveys an incredible array of facets: floral touch, elderberry, licorice and even fine truffle notes rising from underneath. The palate is concentrated, rich in substance, with infinitely many new aromas hidden in the extract; it goes deep and shows potential for at least 40 years. A classic of the newer, more modern Palmer era. Almost monumental. The Petit Verdot was declassified. So the blend is: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot. It has gained since the first impressions. (19/20). 19: Deep purple, ruby glimmer. Somehow you get the feeling you’re seeing the first contours of color evolution. The nose also signals this “evolution hypothesis.” The fruit is fading and is replaced by terroir nuances. Cedar, light leather, chanterelles, Bakelite, and traces of currants and slightly dried plums. Although one could speak of an initial maturity on the nose, the bouquet still feels somewhat reserved, which is typical of the vintage. On the palate, fleshy; the flow is still a bit roughened and fitted with crumbly tannins. In the finish there is more fruit than on the nose, and the seemingly sweet finish shows aromas of black-currant pastilles and sandalwood. The overall constellation of this promising wine suggests that, for the moment, it simply isn’t in the mood. So hide the corkscrew from this wine. In full maturity it will rather turn into a Médoc classic. This assumption fits a blend which, at 56%, is very Cabernet-heavy for a Palmer. First uncork from 2025 and then decant for three hours. (19/20). 21: Curiously, it was slightly lighter than Alter Ego in the glass next to it. Deep garnet. The bouquet shows a lovely sweetness reminiscent of sandalwood and caramel, and you can also sense dark berries. But it’s not really communicating yet. On the palate, ample, dense, concentrated, demanding. Here too, the fruit aromas head toward cassis and blackberry, with a persistent finish. A mysterious Palmer with great aging potential. Can you force an early drinking window by decanting? I wouldn’t really try. But buying it wouldn’t be a bad idea. (19/20).

Fruity, sweet, finely opulent, lactic bouquet, cassis, blackberry yogurt, caramel. Creamy, full, fruity palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, opulent structure, long, generously rich finish. Can still improve. 18/20 drink - 2036

Less exuberant in its aromatics than the 2005, a touch of crème de cassis on the first nose, slightly chalky tannins, but as it opens in the glass you dive through to the rich blackberry and cassis fruits. This is a satisfyingly balanced and classically Left Bank Palmer—concentrated, savory fruits, touches of cedar and mint leaf on the finish, grilled liquorice, nuanced and finessed. Harvest September 19 to October 2, 60% new oak.

Logo on the cork: inverted T (Trescases) Dark color, of normal intensity and slightly evolved. Fruity nose, ripe in style with notes of vanilla. Pleasant palate with a silky texture, very fruity, not very broad, but finely sappy on the finish. Pleasant, but not rich.

A big, brooding wine, the fruit ripe and dense. Richness surrounds structure, giving a sumptuous layer to the dusty tannins. Flavors of currants, spice and juicy berries flow through the wine, giving power and suavity. The freshness of 2006 shows on the finish of this important wine.