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1999 Palmer, Margaux

SKU #1005587 94 points Decanter

Outer quote mark 1999 was not an easy year for wine growers, but Palmer was seen right from the start as being one of the successes of the vintage. This is pretty much slap bang in its drinking window and should continue to drink well from now through to 2025 or 2030, but it is not built for such long ageing as the more structured years. Only 50% of the production made it into the estate's first wine, and that careful selection has mean plenty of fine tannins, brambly fruits and liquorice, set against sweet tannins, saffron and black pepper spices. As it opens, you get campfire, woodsmoke and truffles. Harvest September 17 to October 1, wine made by Philippe Delfaut. (JA) Inner quote mark (11/2020)

94 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Though I have tasted many vintages of Palmer in recent months, it has been some time since I tasted the 1999 Palmer. Now at 17 years of age, it has a really quite splendid bouquet that is so fresh and vital, pure brambly red fruit, sloes and iodine. It has certainly lost some of the headiness that it showed over its first 10 years, but it is still a Palmer that likes to party. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is good depth here, clean and fresh with wonderful poise. This is a "correct" Palmer, self-aware that it was not born in a propitious vintage, therefore it might seem a little restrained, even conservative in character. That would ignore its precision and grace, the manner in which it gently builds to the finish. You can drink this now but I would be inclined to give it another 3-4 years. There are few better Left Bank 1999s than Palmer. Tasted September 2016. (NM) Inner quote mark (10/2016)

93 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 1999 Palmer has long been one of my favorite wines from the Left Bank in this vintage. Now at 20 years of age, it has a sumptuous bouquet that you would attribute to a warmer growing season than 1999: mulberry, fresh dates and sloes, all beautifully defined, and little different from how this wine showed a couple of years ago. The medium-bodied palate is well-balanced, with fine tannin and plenty of tarry black fruit. This bottle had not been decanted, and I feel it seems more compact than it would after a couple of hours’ aeration. But there is much freshness and vigor here, along with firm grip and a classic tarry finish. Excellent. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate. (NM) Inner quote mark (9/2019)

92 points Int'l Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark Good medium ruby. Boysenberry, currant, graphite, mocha, underbrush and roast coffee on the nose, along with sexy smoky oak. Lush, sweet and vinous, with complex, explosive dark berry flavors and impressive density for the year. Plump and pliant. Finishes with broad, lightly dusty tannins and excellent length. In comparison to this, the 2001 is drier and tighter, even allowing for the difference in age between the two vintages. (ST) Inner quote mark (6/2002)

Jancis Robinson

Outer quote mark Markedly deep and youthful colour. Lots of coffee and fragrant spice and cedar. Intense clean cassis, touch of indulgent damson, and a note of undergrowth. More fruity than floral. Dry, smooth powerful tannins and lovely freshness - a lightness of touch that I did not expect from the colour but it fills the mouth and spreads. Depth and length but still a lightness of touch. then it comes back and fills the mouth again with plenty of flesh even though the structure is clearly there. Power and youth. Very long. 17.5+/20 points (JH) Inner quote mark (9/2009)

James Suckling

Outer quote mark A very pretty red with balance and attractive fruit. Underlines how attractive this vintage is and how forgotten it is as well. Medium-to-full body with firm tannins and a raspberry, blackberry and light cedar undertone. Drink or hold. Inner quote mark (6/2013)

Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Delivers lots of sweet tobacco, licorice and cedar aromas. Wow. Really complex and full-bodied, with seductive, silky tannins and a long, long finish. Fabulous texture and finesse. What elegance and balance. (JS) Inner quote mark (5/2010)

K&L Notes

95 points Robert Parker in Wine Advocate: "The 1999 is the greatest Palmer made since 1961, 1966, 1970, 1983, and 1989. It is one of the superstars of the vintage. The wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. It boasts a staggering bouquet of violets and other spring flowers intermixed with licorice, black currants, and subtle wood. Only 50% of the production made it into the grand vin. This is a multidimensional, compelling effort with both power and elegance, it offers sweet tannin along with flavors that caress the palate, and a 45-second finish. This is terrific stuff! (04/2002)

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1999 Palmer, Margaux

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Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Margaux

- Margaux is the southern most of all of the appellations of the Haut Medoc. Located near St. Julien, it has more cru classe producers than the other four villages of the area. In addition to the legendary Chateau Margaux, there are five second-growths: Rauzan Gassies, Rauzan Seglas, Dufort-Vivens, Lascombes, and Brane Cantenac. While more people are probably familiar with the third growth Chateau Palmer, there are nine other wineries with the same ranking in addition to a trio of fourth growths and a pair of fifth growths. Because Margaux is comprised of five communes… Margaux, Cantenac, Soussans, Labardes and Arsac, the wines styles are diverse throughout the region with the more masculine tannic wines coming from the Cantenac side of the appellation. Because of a high percentage of Merlot planted in the region, many wines from Margaux are more round, feminine, and exotic that the other appellations of the Haut Medoc.