So explain this to me like I am a 5 year old....2018 Palmer

[HenryB]

ignorance from my side - how does alcohol strength (typically) affect lifetime? I naively expect it to increase lifetime?

[Marcu_Stanley]

I buy Palmer most years, usually in magnum form. I have never had any Palmer that tasted remotely like a California wine, and although I suspect with that low a yield, this might be a little different, but not enough to surrender its Palmer character.

I had the 2009 Palmer at a Zachys tasting and while it didn’t taste like a California wine, it DID taste like a Chateauneuf / southern Rhone wine! Very good in that style but not very left bank.

Yikes, not my “jam” for a Bordeaux. I was just gifted a bottle of this yesterday.

Well, I’ll confess that I actually found it kind of delicious for what it was so try it for a change of pace. Especially when you have some jam-loving friends over.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

ignorance from my side - how does alcohol strength (typically) affect lifetime? I naively expect it to increase lifetime?

I feel abv tends to affect expressiveness more than ageworthiness.

[HenryB]

ignorance from my side - how does alcohol strength (typically) affect lifetime? I naively expect it to increase lifetime?

I feel abv tends to affect expressiveness more than ageworthiness.

Thanks. I guess that makes sense once said outloud. Cheers

[YLee]

I buy Palmer most years, usually in magnum form. I have never had any Palmer that tasted remotely like a California wine, and although I suspect with that low a yield, this might be a little different, but not enough to surrender its Palmer character.

I had the 2009 Palmer at a Zachys tasting and while it didn’t taste like a California wine, it DID taste like a Chateauneuf / southern Rhone wine! Very good in that style but not very left bank.

Yikes, not my “jam” for a Bordeaux. I was just gifted a bottle of this yesterday.

I think you are the only person I know that gets gifted awesome wines.

[Robert.A.Jr]

I had the 2009 Palmer at a Zachys tasting and while it didn’t taste like a California wine, it DID taste like a Chateauneuf / southern Rhone wine! Very good in that style but not very left bank.

Yikes, not my “jam” for a Bordeaux. I was just gifted a bottle of this yesterday.

I think you are the only person I know that gets gifted awesome wines.

I’m sexy like that!

The client also gave me a piece of art from an abstract artist in Argentina.

This is from my Ovid and Caymus loving client and close friend! He knows better than to gift me new world. That would be like giving me an Impressionist painting.

[YLee]

Yikes, not my “jam” for a Bordeaux. I was just gifted a bottle of this yesterday.

I think you are the only person I know that gets gifted awesome wines.

I’m sexy like that!

The client also gave me a piece of art from an abstract artist in Argentina.


D9592B7F-BDA7-45AB-AB07-1DBD5876208E.jpeg


This is from my Ovid and Caymus loving client and close friend! He knows better than to gift me new world. That would be like giving me an Impressionist painting.

I see a policeman in that painting

[Jeff_Leve]

For the life of me, I will never understand how so many people can comment on, and offer opinions on wines they have not tasted. But this is the Internet where everyone can play.

As probably the only person on this board who has tasted the wine twice, in barrel and in bottle… Along with Lafleur, it is a definite candidate for wine of the vintage. You can read my notes if you like…

Chateau Palmer Margaux Bordeaux Wine, Complete Guide

[Robert.A.Jr]

For the life of me, I will never understand how so many people can comment on, and offer opinions on wines they have not tasted. But this is the Internet where everyone can play.

As probably the only person on this board who has tasted the wine twice, in barrel and in bottle… Along with Lafleur, it is a definite candidate for wine of the vintage. You can read my notes if you like…

Learn about Chateau Palmer Margaux, Complete Guide

Oh Jeffois, You are so amusing.

We are just the little people here. We are not the jet-setting VIPs hosted at private dinners and tastings at the various, historic Chateaux. We are not sent thousands of bottles of this fine elixir for tasting, ruminating, and delivering flamboyant prose to the unwashed masses. Maybe just maybe us peons occasionally are offered a taste of these precious liquids, allowing us to circle back on this website to impress our friends with our unique access to the wines and our astute ability to identify every nuance in every dimension, horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and of course, Circuitously. Thus, we are relegated to offer rank, uneducated opinions for the sheer entertainment value.

We just ain’t worthy.

[Jeff_Leve]

For the life of me, I will never understand how so many people can comment on, and offer opinions on wines they have not tasted. But this is the Internet where everyone can play.

As probably the only person on this board who has tasted the wine twice, in barrel and in bottle… Along with Lafleur, it is a definite candidate for wine of the vintage. You can read my notes if you like…

Learn about Chateau Palmer Margaux, Complete Guide

Oh Jeffois, You are so amusing.

We are just the little people here. We are not the jet-setting VIPs hosted at private dinners and tastings at the various, historic Chateaux. We are not sent thousands of bottles of this fine elixir for tasting, ruminating, and delivering flamboyant prose to the unwashed masses. Maybe just maybe us peons occasionally are offered a taste of these precious liquids, allowing us to circle back on this website to impress our friends with our unique access to the wines and our astute ability to identify every nuance in every dimension, horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and of course, Circuitously. Thus, we are relegated to offer rank, uneducated opinions for the sheer entertainment value.

We just ain’t worthy.

No, but you are witty

It is a stunning wine. And if you read my note, you’d see production was slashed by 75%. In fact, if you read my note early, you could have bought some cheap

And riddle me this Batman, why is it when folks pontificate about wines they have not tasted, it is always negative? I never see people say a wine is great without tasting it

[Mark_Golodetz]

I bought 3 magnums in spite of your notes

[Robert.A.Jr]

I bought 3 magnums in spite of your notes

Clearly you will hate it. Didn’t Jeffois call it “liquid sex”? Gift me one. I’m an excellent and gracious recipient!

[Jeff_Leve]

I bought 3 magnums in spite of your notes

My favorite post of the year!

[Markus_S]

I had the 2009 Palmer at a Zachys tasting and while it didn’t taste like a California wine, it DID taste like a Chateauneuf / southern Rhone wine! Very good in that style but not very left bank.

Yikes, not my “jam” for a Bordeaux. I was just gifted a bottle of this yesterday.

I think you are the only person I know that gets gifted awesome wines.

Alfert is the living embodiment of the ELP song “Lucky Man” Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Lucky Man - YouTube

[Robert.A.Jr]

I think you are the only person I know that gets gifted awesome wines.

I’m sexy like that!

The client also gave me a piece of art from an abstract artist in Argentina.


D9592B7F-BDA7-45AB-AB07-1DBD5876208E.jpeg


This is from my Ovid and Caymus loving client and close friend! He knows better than to gift me new world. That would be like giving me an Impressionist painting.

I see a policeman in that painting

HA. Kane texted me that he saw a “Pigman”. I’m dying.

[JonathanG]

And riddle me this Batman, why is it when folks pontificate about wines they have not tasted, it is always negative? I never see people say a wine is great without tasting it

Quite simple, el Jefe, its a FOMO coping device. convince yourself its bad, and you don’t feel like you missed out on something.

I’m in the “bought Palmer thanks to the Leve review” camp BTW. Along with a shed-load of other 2018s. Sure hope you were right

[Keith_Levenberg]

Martin noted that while it could easily be argued that Bordeaux estates are more risk averse these days as they become more corporate, the 2018 Palmer is in his view as “boundary pushing” as the 1947 Cheval Blanc was in its time.

“Long after I’m gone, the cognoscenti will be talking about the 2018 Palmer in exactly those terms,” he predicted.

“There will never be another Palmer like it,” he said in his tasting note. “It was a massive risk. But by throwing caution to the wind, something extraordinary was born”.

I am still very confused about this. The story seems to be that a nature event cut their yields. Okay, I can see how that would be conducive to making an extraordinarily concentrated wine. But what was the “risk,” exactly? How did they throw caution to the wind? The yield-reducing event had already occurred. There was nothing to gamble on. They were going to make a wine with whatever was left no matter what. What would have been the less risky, more cautious option?

[Chris_Seiber]

I don’t know why Parker is getting dragged into this, but here’s his early in-bottle tasting note on the 1989 Palmer:

“Palmer’s 1989 is one of the vintage’s great successes. The wine exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, a sweet, jammy nose of black fruits, intermingled with floral scents, licorice, and a touch of truffles. Full-bodied and supple, with low acidity, copious quantities of ripe fruit and glycerin, and a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, harmonious, seamless texture, this is a gorgeous Palmer. It may turn out similar to this estate’s brilliant 1962 and 1953. Although approachable, it will improve for another decade, and last for 20-25 years.”

I’m not sure what is new.

Yes, Palmer is expensive and has been for a while, although $500 is clearly related to the scores and scarcity of the 2018. It’s actually making me a bit fearful I won’t get delivery of my futures.

As it happens, I had 89 Palmer last night. My comment to my friend before he had his first glass was that it tasted just like you expect, in a good way. Very classic, balanced, Bordeaux. Not really more of anything or in any direction than you’d expect, just down the middle and really good.

[HenryB]

Martin noted that while it could easily be argued that Bordeaux estates are more risk averse these days as they become more corporate, the 2018 Palmer is in his view as “boundary pushing” as the 1947 Cheval Blanc was in its time.

“Long after I’m gone, the cognoscenti will be talking about the 2018 Palmer in exactly those terms,” he predicted.

“There will never be another Palmer like it,” he said in his tasting note. “It was a massive risk. But by throwing caution to the wind, something extraordinary was born”.

I am still very confused about this. The story seems to be that a nature event cut their yields. Okay, I can see how that would be conducive to making an extraordinarily concentrated wine. But what was the “risk,” exactly? How did they throw caution to the wind? The yield-reducing event had already occurred. There was nothing to gamble on. They were going to make a wine with whatever was left no matter what. What would have been the less risky, more cautious option?

I’m well out of my depth in this conversation, was just trying to explain ithe recent price increase, cant explain the oenology behind the wine

[Andy_Sc]

Martin noted that while it could easily be argued that Bordeaux estates are more risk averse these days as they become more corporate, the 2018 Palmer is in his view as “boundary pushing” as the 1947 Cheval Blanc was in its time.

“Long after I’m gone, the cognoscenti will be talking about the 2018 Palmer in exactly those terms,” he predicted.

“There will never be another Palmer like it,” he said in his tasting note. “It was a massive risk. But by throwing caution to the wind, something extraordinary was born”.

I am still very confused about this. The story seems to be that a nature event cut their yields. Okay, I can see how that would be conducive to making an extraordinarily concentrated wine. But what was the “risk,” exactly? How did they throw caution to the wind? The yield-reducing event had already occurred. There was nothing to gamble on. They were going to make a wine with whatever was left no matter what. What would have been the less risky, more cautious option?

The risk was that they would mess up in the cellar. With so much concentration you can easily create a caricature of a wine if you don’t handle it right. They didn’t “took a risk” but there was a risk that they would mess up.