2005 Palmer

This was brought in place of an Angélus 2005 that turned out to be oxidised. Juicy, vibrant, for the first time I wrote the word 'musical' to describe a wine! It must have had a lot to communicate. (JR)

The 2005 Château Palmer is utterly brilliant, and it will be interesting to compare this to the 2009 over the coming two decades. Still vivid ruby/plum-hued, it has a beautiful nose of ripe blueberries and darker cherries that give way to more violets, smoked tobacco, spice, and flowery incense-like nuances. It's beautifully textured, utterly seamless, has full-bodied richness, and flawless tannins. It's drinking spectacularly well today (this bottle had been decanted for three hours) yet will evolve gracefully over the coming two decades. It’s 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot that spent two years all in barrels (60% new).

The 2005 Palmer, picked from September 9 to October 10, remains deep in color. It has a lovely, intense bouquet with blackcurrant pastilles, raspberry, violet and juniper. It blossoms in the glass, gaining vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, structured and dense, strangely Pomerol-like in style, with touches of black pepper and truffle furnishing the finish. Robust and muscular, it lacks a bit of flair and precision (like many wines of this vintage). I would afford this another couple of years in the cellar. Tasted at the Palmer vertical at the château.