Extremely well-balanced, with great elegance, purity and precision, the 1986 Clerc Milon, 13% alcohol, is a delicious example of perfectly aged Pauillac. The cork was completely soaked and did not want to come out in one piece, but the wine was in perfect condition. Deep ruby in color, with excellent fruit, lots of secondary and tertiary flavors, silky tannins, and an astonishingly fresh character, you would probably never guess a 33 year old Pauillac in a blind tasting.
But there was yet another highlight last night. Friend Marcus, a trained pharmacist and oenologist, generously brought another delicious medicine to our garden party. From Margaux. A bit more opulent and concentrated than the Clerc Milon, but a bit less pure and precise, the seductive 1999 Palmer, 12,5% alcohol, is clearly on the hedonistic side, extremely well-balanced too, silky, with a creamy texture and a long mineral, spicy finish… simply delicate and moreish.
I had that 86 Clerc Milon a few months ago with similar impressions on quality, except your bottle showed fresher:
I love the note on the Palmer, with seductive and hedonistic references to a wine that clicks in at a now-lowly 12.5%. Certainly defies the myth that late-picking and busting 14% is the way to go. Bravo!
I’ve had the 86 Clerc Milon many times and finished off a 4-pack purchase about 4 years ago. Up until then the wine was somewhat backwards, bordering on austere. I wish I was more patient.
Thanks Rudi (and Tom) for the thoughts about the 1999 Palmer. I’m sitting on a couple of bottles of it (1999 is my wedding anniversary year) and am wondering if you feel it has the stuffing to go another 5-10 years or more?
Although this note is from late 2017, it conveys the enthusiasm that I still hold for this vintage of Palmer. It is a monumental wine that, assuming properly cellared, will easily blow through the next decade.
1999 Château Palmer- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (12/16/2017)
Château Palmer will forever be remembered as a standout in the otherwise unremarkable 1999 vintage. A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, this bottle was purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion. There is no lack of color here, as this particular specimen yielded a deep ruby/red wine that is very youthful in appearance. Allowing four hours in decanter, it progressively delivers aromas and flavors of ripe plums, orange peel, lavender, loamy earth, truffles and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (12.5%) and with soft residual tannins, it has a layered, silky-textured mid-palate and a very lengthy finish. Those holding comparably cellared bottles will be rewarded, as this gem is actually very early in its drinking window. Enjoy it throughout the next decade. Drink now-2030. (96 pts.)