1975 Palmer
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Tasting notes
Bottles reconditioned by Mähler-Besse, co-owners of Palmer, in their Quai des Chartrons cellars under the watchful eye of the Palmer cellarmaster. Bottles topped up with the same wine and re-corked with a cork branded ‘rebouché en 2018'. First bottle tasted badly TCA-affected, alas. But the second was in great shape and really quite powerful but had just about thrown off the tannic grip of so many 1975s and even showed some sweetness as well as a certain medicinal hint. Not quite as glorious as the (much younger) La Mission 1995 it was served alongside with porcini and cappellacci stuffed with Castelmagno cheese. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Fully mature and clearly on the decline, the 1975 Château Palmer is medium-bodied, focused, and linear, with a firmer, focused style best drunk up. As the old saying goes, there are no great wines, only great bottles.
Magnum. A funny wine this. When first poured (immediately after decanting) it seemed rather metallic, and fruitless in 1975 idiom. But after about 20 minutes it came out of its shell to display Margaux elegance and had its moment of fruity glory, before fading away and drying out leaving a hint of pepper. (JR)
The 1975 Palmer has consistently been one of the top wines of the vintage. The color remains a dark ruby with no signs of amber. The wine reveals plenty of sweet fruit in the fragrant bouquet. Although more tannic than most top vintages of Palmer, this is a full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine with the vintage's toughness and high tannin well-displayed. Yet I believe it possesses enough sweet fruit and extract to stand up to the tannin. Shockingly, the most developed bottle of 1975 Palmer I have tasted was from an Imperial several years ago. From my cellar, the wine is still very young, and in need of another 5-7 years of cellaring. It has another 20+ years of evolution.
About the producer
Ch. Palmer is one of the finest producers in Bordeaux. The Margaux Third Growth is known for its significant plantings of old-vine Merlot, typically representing a large portion of the blend and responsible for the generous and supple style Ch. Palmer is known for.