Château Palmer, 3ème Cru Classé, Margaux,

Enticing ruby red body, with aromatics that show a touch of orange zest and turmeric spice. The fruit is creamy, intense, a brilliant Palmer that has finesse and balance but a serious kick. Black pepper, cinammon, raspberry, bilberry fruits, smoked earth and campfire on the finish, so juicy, totally salivating with a slate-textured close of play. Delicious, and a great sign that the 2005 vintage is starting to swing open. Harvest September 22 to October 7, 60% new oak. A long dry summer, with 57% less rainfall than usual, although temperatures never climbed as high as in 2003. Impossible to stop smiling after this.

The 2005 Palmer is made from 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it is very shut down on the nose to begin, slowly revealing a powerhouse of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and licorice scents with hints of candied violets and unsmoked cigars. Big, rich, full-bodied, and opulent in the mouth, it has seductively velvety tannins and fantastic length. Still very young, it is approachable at this stage, but expect great things to come with a further 5-10 years of patience. Drink it to 2050+. Palmer is located in the Cantenac sector of Margaux. Most of the plots are situated on the plateau, with the best located around the Chateau. It is worth noting that these prime blocks were not part of the estate in 1855, which is probably why it was ranked a third growth instead of a second (or first). From 1945, a large percentage of Merlot was planted at the estate and it continues to have one of the highest percentages of this grape planted at a Medoc property, currently accounting for around 47% of the vineyard area. In 2004, Thomas Duroux took over from the long-serving Jean Bouteiller as winemaker. He started experimenting with biodynamic viticulture in 2008 and Palmer went fully biodynamic in 2014.

The 2005 Palmer, picked from September 9 to October 10, remains deep in color. It has a lovely, intense bouquet with blackcurrant pastilles, raspberry, violet and juniper. It blossoms in the glass, gaining vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, structured and dense, strangely Pomerol-like in style, with touches of black pepper and truffle furnishing the finish. Robust and muscular, it lacks a bit of flair and precision (like many wines of this vintage). I would afford this another couple of years in the cellar. Tasted at the Palmer vertical at the château.