1928 Palmer
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Tasting notes
The 1928 Palmer is the third bottle that I have encountered. This example was recorked back in 1988. It has a very Pauillac-like bouquet that’s a little austere yet shows more freshness than a recorked bottle encountered three years earlier. This becomes quite floral with time, with white flowers commingling with antique mahogany bureau and leather scents. It feels solid in the mouth with firm grip, but the finely chiseled tannins indicate that this comes from an estate with real pedigree. It is very pure and even a little candied toward the finish with hints of curry leaf. The 1928 Palmer is not at its very best, yet it is a wonderful wine that shows little sign of flagging at almost 100 years old. Tasted at "Koala's" Bordeaux dinner in Hong Kong.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 1928 Château Palmer was a Margaux in its dotage, but a sublime example of this legendary vintage. The bouquet is exquisite: not powerful or commanding, instead elegant and refined with vestiges of mulberry and red plum fruit, cedar, juniper berries and rusty piping. The palate is medium-bodied and very well balanced, clearly a wine that once upon a time possessed real backbone throughout its long career. Now it is almost Burgundy-like towards the harmonious finish, thanks to the extant fineness of its tannins. Edginess is imparted by veins of mandarin that interlace the austere, delightful finish, but what really completes this wines is its profound length, the sustain in the mouth. It had embarked upon its downward slope, yet continues to offer so much drinking pleasure. Tasted May 2015.
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.