Wine Advisor
Palmer 2009
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the all-time great Palmers (along with the 1961, 1966, 1970, 1989, 2000 and 2005), the 2009 Palmer is a blend of 52% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and a whopping 7% Petit Verdot that came in at close to 14% natural alcohol. An opaque blue/black color suggests a wine with thrilling levels of concentration and intensity, and That's exactly what a taster gets. Subtle smoke, incense and Asian spice (soy?) notes interwoven with graphite, blueberry, blackberry and cassis characteristics lead to a full-bodied, phenomenally concentrated, viscous, opulent wine with plenty of sweet tannin. This sensational Palmer reveals even more floral notes than vintages such as 2005 and 2000. It should drink well for 50 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Sample taken on 19th March. A blend of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 52% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, cropped between 23rd September and 14th October, and 13.9% and 3.75pH. IPT is 88, which has never been seen before. A deep purple hue, the nose very tight at the moment with black cherry, cassis, a touch of oyster shell and liquorice. Blossoming in the glass. The palate is medium to full-bodied with seamless tannins, beautiful balanced and immense purity. The oak is well integrated (50%). Wonderful poise on the finish and superb length. Yes, modern in style, but there it is imbued with irresistible purity. Tasted March 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The black/purple-colored 2009 Palmer exhibits a level of tannin that exceeds anything they have previously produced. The final blend is 52% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petit Verdot, and the finished alcohol is 13.9%. It is hard to say this 2009 will turn out better than Palmer’s extraordinary 2005, but it certainly will be different in style given the alcohol level and power of this vintage. Pure blackberry and black currant fruit notes intermixed with hints of incense, graphite, and wood are followed by an opulent, thick, juicy wine with plenty of structure, and enormous concentration, mass, and length. Four to five years of patience is required, but this beauty should last for three decades or more. (Tasted once.)
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted with Thomas Duroux at the property, the Palmer 2009 has a very pure bouquet with the Merlot exuberant and vivacious. Superb definition and clarity, quite contained compared recent Palmer vintages and it is all the better for it. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with a sorbet-like freshness. Powdery tannins at the moment, a linearity and symmetry that is beguiling. The oak is supremely well-integrated on the finish, sumptuous and opulent with lush dark plum fruit, with just a hint of spice lingering 30+ seconds after the wine is ejected. Tasted September 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Palmer '09 has a really vivacious, sumptuous bouquet - superb extraction here. Perhaps it is slightly modern in style with noticeable creamy new oak that needs to be subsumed. The palate is medium-bodied with blackberry, bay leaf, sea salt and tar. The length is impressive, maintaining superb finesse and length. I correctly guessed this as Palmer - sticks out like a sore thumb! Tasted January 2013.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(a blend of 52% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 7% petit verdot; cropped at 34 hectoliters per hectare) Very dark ruby. Rich, concentrated aromas of ripe dark plum and blackberry show a pure, penetrating quality. Dense, rich and wonderfully tactile on the palate, with pure black fruit and graphite flavors nicely complicated by cocoa and coffee. Finishes very long, but with slightly rigid tannins that left me wishing for a touch more generosity. A very strong wine, but not quite as impressive as I expected in the context of the vintage-and more tannic than usual.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Palmer has a rich, opulent and ravishing bouquet with precocious kirsch and boysenberry aromas, blue fruit exploding in the glass with aeration. This still feels very backward. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity. Superb mineral tension with great precision towards the finish. Thomas Duroux crafted a superlative Palmer in 2009, one of the finest in recent years. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright medium red. Very ripe aromas of boysenberry, chocolate, violet and minerals. Wonderfully silky and intense, with terrific complexity to its dark berry, floral and minerals flavors. Most impressive today on the building, vibrant finish, which boasts a solid structure for at least mid-term aging. With 72 hours in the recorked bottle, this wine showed a texture of liquid velvet, with its seductive raspberry and chocolate flavors kept fresh by sound acidity. A beauty.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Palmer delivers a beguiling array of black fruit—warm plums, cassis and black cherry compote—with kirsch and wild sage sparks plus profound suggestions of fragrant earth, black truffles, iron ore and liquid licorice. Full-bodied, rich and decadently seductive in the mouth, the generous fruit is superbly framed with plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Palmer has a beautifully defined bouquet with bright black cherry and boysenberry fruit, crushed stone and rose petal. Not as decadent as the bottle poured at the BI tasting, yet precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and refined tannin, and crisp acidity. Wonderfully poised with quite a penetrating finish that delivers a payload of multi-layered blueberry and blackberry. This is a very well crafted 2009 Margaux destined for long-term ageing. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is a departure from the old style of Palmer. It is flamboyant and exciting now. It is not shy any more. The nose jumps out of the glass with blackberries, blueberries, chocolate, and hints of vanilla. Full bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. This is so intense with a spice and blueberry character from the Petit Verdot (7%) and the rest from the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the best young wine I have ever tasted from here. Barrel sample.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Wonderful nose of dark chocolate, blackberries and brambleberries. Full bodied with velvety tannins and a cool and racy finish. This is muscular but sexy. Wonderful length. Try after 2020.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This has such class and power. Aromas of blueberries and blackberries, with hints of violets. Full-bodied, with polished tannins and a juicy finish. Solid and extremely pretty. Fabulous finish. Try in 2020.
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.
1955(1)1960(1)1970(1)1976(1)1977(1)1979(1)1981(3)1982(1)1983(1)1985(1)1987(1)1988(1)1989(2)1990(6)1992(1)1993(1)1994(4)1995(2)1996(8)1998(6)1999(5)2000(6)2001(3)2002(7)2003(7)2004(10)2005(10)2006(8)2007(3)2008(16)
Package Size
1 x 1.5L1 x 6L12 x 75cl6 x 1.5L
