Palmer 2008

vinous93

Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata

(51% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 8% petit verdot) Full, bright ruby-red. Perfumed, sexy aromas of red cherry, plum and flowers. Suave on entry, then sweet but gripping in the middle, with integrated acids giving terrific definition and thrust to the complex, creamy flavors of red berries, minerals and sweet spices. A truly seamless and almost weightless wine, finishing pure and very long.

vinous93

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full medium ruby. Inviting, almost liqueur-like aromas of dark raspberry, sexy spices and tobacco lifted by a floral quality. Broad and plush but precise and fine-grained, with a layered texture to the concentrated flavors of red and dark berries and dark chocolate. Really builds toward the back but the wine's compelling thickness of fruit is nicely leavened by sneaky minerality. Finishes with noble tannins and captivating energy and perfume.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted ex-chateau and single blind in Southwold. Two bottles of Chateau Palmer were opened. It has a very sophisticated, but slightly broody bouquet with blackberry cassis, graphite and a little more earthiness than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine delineation, tightly knit with superb focus and sense of harmony. Crisp, sinewy and multi-faceted, this is a great Palmer for the vintage and a serious contender for the best wine of the appellation. Bravo. Tasted January 2012.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A stunning success for the vintage, and possibly the Margaux of the year, this wine, which achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, is a blend of 51% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. Loads of barbecue smoke, licorice, incense, blackberry, new saddle leather and forest floor notes jump from the glass of this dense, purple-colored wine. Extraordinarily intense and full-bodied, with plenty of tannin, but not the formidable structure of the 2010, this is going to be one of the longest-lived wines of 2008. It is full, rich, layered, and should be reasonably approachable with 3-4 years of bottle age, and will also keep for 30+ years.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 2008 Palmer, which tips the scales at 13.5% natural alcohol (among the highest achieved at this property), is a blend of 51% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Petit Verdot. It is a massively rich wine with an inky/purple color, sensational density of fruit, velvety tannins, a glorious bouquet of black fruits, licorice, incense, and subtle barbecue smoke, a superb, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a fabulous texture and length. With several minutes of swirling, an enticing floral note emerges. The wine’s glycerin and sweetness suggest it will be approachable 3-4 years after bottling, yet keep for three decades or more. It appears to be among the finest Palmers made this decade, rivaling both the 2005 and 2000. Yields at Palmer were a shockingly low 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest lasted from October 1 to October 17. Keep in mind, the natural alcohol percentage in the Merlots harvested at Chateau Palmer was a low of 13.5% and reached a lofty peak of 14.5%. All the Cabernet Sauvignons came in between 12%-12.5%. Moreover, the level of tannins and dry extract/polyphenols was the same as in 2005, which provides one more piece of evidence in what is a very successful vintage for Bordeaux.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at the property. This Palmer is very closed on the nose, much more so than Chateau Margaux. Reluctant aromas of black plum, cassis, blackberry pastille, iodine and graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with a dense structure, grippy tannins, very persistent Palmer with superb fruit concentration. Tightly knit towards the finish with blackberry, Doris plum and cedar billowing out towards the finish. Very good length but certainly more backward, some graphite notes lingering. Muscular at the moment – this will need time to mellow. Drink 2013-2030. Tasted October 2010.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

En primeur barrel sample. Very deep colour. Like the Alter Ego, the nose takes some coaxing from the glass, it is not as generous as the 2006 or 2007, rather this unfurls gracefully in the glass. Black cherries, violets with boysenberry and a touch of iodine. A slight clayey accent coming through. The palate is full-bodied, it has that same sense of energy, a real prickle on the tongue, very fresh and taut – tension. Firm tannins, again quite strict on the finish. Correct but supremely well focused. A certain austerity at the finish, but that will mellow out in time. Impressive (again). Tasted April 2009.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2008 Palmer has a very intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, crushed violet and iris scents, blossoming in the glass whilst retaining superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but quite rounded tannin that frame the pure blackberry and raspberry fruit. There are touches of white pepper and clove towards the finish, completing quite a superb Margaux from Thomas Duroux. Equal with Château Margaux? It might even be better... (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits annual 10-Year On tasting.)

james_suckling93

Reviewed by: James Suckling

Palmer knows what to do. Plenty of blackberry and licorice aromas and flavors follow through to full body, with chewy tannins and a vanilla, cedar and chocolate aftertaste. Needs time to mellow. Layered and beautiful. Best after 2012.