1970 Palmer

Tasted at the Chateau Palmer vertical in London, the 1970 Chateau Palmer (again) disappoints compared to marvelous showing in the 1990s, suggesting that its decline has been far more rapid than say the 1966 or the 1961 even. It has quite a deep hue with brick rim. The bouquet starts well with a succinct nose: pomegranate, wilted violet and bay leaf, nicely defined, if lacking horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with a lightly spiced entry. It does not own the finesse or complexity of those aforementioned vintages and it seems to lose some of its flesh and concentration to what is an austere, drying finish. There is nothing terrible here, but it is a Palmer that has obviously seen better days. Perhaps larger formats are continuing to offer pleasure? Tasted May 2015. May 2016, www.robertparker.com