Wine Advisor
Palmer 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Its bigger sister, the 2005 Château Palmer (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot), is one of the great efforts of this superlative vintage. Floral notes mixed with blackberry, cassis, plum, licorice and spring flowers soar from the glass of this dense ruby/purple wine. It is medium to full-bodied, surprisingly opulent (it has a big percentage of Merlot), long, multi-dimensional and textured. This wonderfully pure, stunning wine once again performs as a first-growth. It should drink well for the next 20-25 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Produced from a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot (only 50% of the total crop was used), the 2005 Palmer boasts an amazing 14% natural alcohol. New administrator Thomas Duroux (formerly of Ornellaia in Tuscany) has fashioned a true classic. Creme de cassis, camphor, earth, licorice, and spicy oak characteristics emerge from this sensationally rich, full-bodied Margaux. With terrific texture, awesome intensity, high but sweet tannin, and refreshing, well-integrated acidity, this wine will be at its finest between 2015-2050+.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Very deep, inky purple colour. Aromas of warm blackberries, dark chocolate, violets and black olive with nuances of vanilla, mace and graphite. The palate is medium to full bodied, concentrated and dense with medium to high acidity and very firm, fine tannins. Long finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The nose just soars from the glass, very floral with ripe blackberries, boysenberry and black plum with wonderful delineation. The palate is lithe, feminine, supple, full of glycerine and dense blackberries, raspberries and cassis. An exuberant, opulent wine and yet it is also exquisitely elegant and refined. A prime example of “controlled power”. It will demand 20-year cellaring to get the most out of this Margaux. Drink 2018-2040+. Tasted June 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Opaque, deep garnet hue. The nose is closed at first, then black cherries, cedar and a touch of mint. The palate is full-bodied, very concentrated and opulent, though there is a lot of structure underneath. Does not quite have the focus of Margaux, the finish if very dense, touch of cedar and toasty, almost extravagant. Very fine, will meld together in barrel. Huge grip on the finish. Tasted April 2006.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A classic vin de garde as well as a Palmer for the ages, the 2005 will last for 40-50 years. Representing 50% of the production, it is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. An inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by a beautiful bouquet of flowers, cassis, spice box, forest floor, and subtle wood. Boasting extraordinary intensity, a huge entry on the palate, full body, high tannin, and good underlying acidity, this is a massive as well as exquisitely elegant, pure effort. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This spectacular offering should continue to improve, and may merit an even higher score after additional aging. Stunningly rich and powerful, the dark purple-tinged 2005 Palmer is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. Aromas of incense, burning embers, black currants, plums, licorice, and flowers are followed by a full-bodied Margaux with more weight and power even than its nearby first-growth rival, Chateau Margaux. The abundant acidity and tannins are beautifully coated by the wine’s exceptional fruit extract and overall harmony and richness. It is so concentrated that one is hard pressed to find even a hint of new oak. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2045+
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Château Palmer 2005 is blessed with a very intense bouquet (as usual!) with black cherries, wild strawberry, dried herbs and a strong peppermint scent that comes as some surprise, but is in sync with the rest of the aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very poised in the mouth with blackberry, cedar and graphite notes. This is a backward Margaux but you cannot deny the precision and persistence on the finish. Fabulous.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at Southwold. Another extraordinary primal, chocolate tinged nose with ripe black plum, black olive, kirsch and a touch of cooked meat. Very complex and engaging, more expressive than others at the moment. The palate is beautifully defined, ravishing succulent tannins, perfect acidity, really suave and sophisticated. Enormous depth with sleek saturated tannins. Great length with such finesse on the finish. Decadent is an understatement. Raucous! Drink 2018-2040+ Tasted January 2009.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Palmer has been absolutely magical both times I have tasted it recently. Still wonderfully deep to the core, the 2005 is dense, packed to the core and luxuriously opulent. Even with all of that intensity, the 2005 remains vibrant. Lush red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and sweet spice build into the towering finish. The 2005 is an epic wine that will have no problem reaching its fiftieth birthday. It is a rich, dramatic Margaux that checks all the boxes, and then some. I rated a second bottle even higher.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good deep red-ruby. Deep, brooding aromas of blackberry, kirsch and chocolate mint, with a distinctly roasted, jammy character showing today. Compellingly sweet and explosive on the palate, with great fat to the flavors of plum, mulberry, coffee and mocha; like a cocktail of jammy fruits. This is downright massive, not to say decadent, for Palmer-at 14% alcohol the highest ever recorded here. A pure liquid confection.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Saturated, deep ruby-red. Subdued, brooding aromas of dark raspberry and chocolate. Large-scaled, broad and round, with a lush, tactile quality and outstanding depth of flavor. The substantial, dusty tannins arrive very late, allowing the superripe finishing flavors of kirsch and dark chocolate to open and expand. There's something almost 1947-like about this decadent, layered wine. This is the ripest Palmer ever made, at 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.85; Duroux told me it includes a bit of merlot picked at 15.5%. (Incidentally, the considerably less expensive Alter Ego, also made in an unusually sweet style, is wonderfully plush and full and will offer great early appeal.)
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(53% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot and 7% petit verdot) Saturated ruby-red. Very ripe, expressive aromas of plum, kirsch and chocolate, with lovely floral lift. Wonderfully dense, rich and fat with fruit; a distinctly thick, chewy Palmer with broad shoulders. The creamy merlot contributes to the wine's seamless texture, and an intriguing truffley nuance adds complexity. Finishes with wonderfully ripe, lush tannins. Offers great potential.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 2005 Château Palmer is a legend in the making. Apparently the vines received 57% less rain than average, yet the 2005 shrugs off any water deficiency and has nurtured a wondrously pixelated bouquet, whereby mineralité shines through the black cherry and blueberry fruit. Search deeper and you discover veins of graphite that impart a Pauillac-like allure. The palate is medium-bodied and intense, but it is not overwhelming, a Margaux that is galvanized with a firm backbone thereby ensuring this will age over the long term. The symmetry here is enthralling - a 2005 that is destined for greatness. The only question is whether it will surpass the 2009 or 2010 Palmer? It will be fun finding out. Tasted May 2015.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Château Palmer is in a gorgeous place right now where it is just beginning to show the very early signs of aromatic development. Dark, powerful and seductive, the 2005 is a totally effortless wine. Black cherry, mocha, plum, licorice, new leather and spice open up first, followed by subtler hints of rosemary and lavender that add nuance. Even with all of its overt radiance and intensity, the Palmer retains the sense of freshness that is such a signature of the year. Readers lucky enough to own the 2005 can look forward to many more years of exceptional drinking.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
What a nose of milk chocolate, with raspberries and hints of plums and flowers. A wonderful nose. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and a chocolate, nut, and dark fruit character on the palate. The fine tannins and great balance make you want to drink this, but you should wait and let it all out. Pull the cork in 2016.
About the Producer
The fine seaside climate and soils of Long Island’s North Fork provide exceptional conditions for the making of world-class varietal wines. With 110 acres planted with Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc to supply the winery’s 20,000 annual case production, Palmer strives to preserve and enhance the purity of flavor and distinctive, fresh character which makes this region’s wines so unique. The state- of-the art winery contains the most modern winemaking equipment available today, and also includes substantial new French oak cooperage, purchased each year, for both barrel fermentation of our Chardonnay and the aging of our premium red varietals.
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