Palmer 1999

vinous92

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

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.

vinous92

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full medium ruby. More deeply pitched aromas than the 2000: boysenberry, smoky oak, chocolatey torrefaction. Sweet, fat and full; quite powerful for '99 but perhaps a hair less gripping than the young 2000. Dense and chocolatey in the mouth, with spicy oak accents. Finishes with serious but sweet tannins and superb length.

vinous92

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Dark ruby. Highly aromatic, floral nose of blackberry and bitter chocolate. Silky, concentrated and mouthfilling; consistent and chocolatey from start to finish. Firm structure hidden beneath the wine flesh. Finishes impressively long, with supple, thoroughly ripe, toothcoating tannins.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: William Kelley

In magnum, the 1999 Palmer is drinking beautifully, offering up a deep and lavish bouquet of cherries and berries mingled with hints of cigar box and violets. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a sumptuous core of fruit, velvety tannins and a long, expansive finish, it's impressively seamless and concentrated and stands out as one of the vintage's high points. Drunk side by side with Château Margaux, also in magnum, it enjoyed a narrow but persuasive lead.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

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.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Palmer, which harvested between September 17 and October 1, has produced one of the vintage's stars. Much of the Merlot came in before the heavy rain, and the fruit was so ripe this is the first vintage in over thirty years in which there was no need to chaptalize. The blend, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot, has produced a dense, opaque purple-colored wine with an opulent personality. Fifty percent of the crop was declassified, and yields were a moderately high 47 hectoliters per hectare. A sweet, fat entry on the palate is followed by sexy, chewy, succulent, black fruit, licorice, mineral, and smoky flavors. Full-bodied, with ripe tannin as well as low acidity, this hedonistic, crowd-pleasing Palmer will be thrilling in its youth, but capable of lasting 15-20 years.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

At the MW horizontal in November 2003: limpid ruby colour. A beautiful nose of ripe blackberry, blueberry and violets. Still a little closed. The palate is very concentrated and robust. Full-bodied, quite rich and opulent for Palmer. This combines power and elegance. Similar to the 1998, perhaps lacking a little grip on the finish but this is very impressive. Next at the Palmer vertical in October 2004. Quite a deep garnet colour. A dense, slightly smoky nose with plum and blueberry. Become more floral. Surprisingly concentrated with good weight, full-bodied with well knit tannins. Smooth with a meaty finish. Perhaps foursquare at this stage, but this is certainly one of the best 1999's I have tried and supports the positive note from last year's 1999 tasting.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

An intense, very lifted nose of redcurrants, raspberry and minerals, all with stupendous definition. A touch of rose petals and cherry evolve with time in the glass. The palate is full-bodied, quite dense and surprisingly tannic. Very ripe and succulent with raspberry and cassis, yet without the persistency on the finish that suggests it will has long-term potential. But a great success for an overlooked vintage. Tasted October 2006. Drinking 2012-2020

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A brilliant success, Palmer's 1999 is a blend of 46% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot (only 58% of the harvest made it into the final wine), it boasts an opaque blue/purple color as well as sweet aromas of licorice, jammy cassis, smoke, lead pencil, and minerals. Surprisingly tannic for the vintage, this muscular, gorgeously proportioned, classic effort should be one of the wines of the vintage ... at least in the Medoc. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at the 1999 horizontal at Bordeaux Index. The Palmer 99 has plumes of ripe black fruits on the nose with boysenberry, iodine and blueberry. Lovely lift – typical opulent style. The palate is full-bodied, ripe and extrovert with chewy tannins. Layers of black fruit, spice and a fair bit of glycerine still. A primal Palmer, quite decadent towards the finish although reined in by the vintage. It needs time to develop some more nuance and character, but it will. Drink 2015-2030. Tasted June 2009.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

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! Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025.

vinous93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

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.

james_suckling91

Reviewed by: James Suckling

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.