Belated notes from December 26th, 2006.
Château Palmer Margaux 2004
Thanks to Rainer. 47% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petit Verdot. Opaque purple-ruby, a bit lighter at the rim. Floral, highly concentrated for Palmer, and yet the quintessential elegance shows. Tannin that can be smelled, but not green at all. A touch of Côte-Rôtie bacon fat, soft roasted meat, lightly spicy violet. A bit appley acidity. Floral fruit with a with cool and firm backbone. Violet and pansy juice of rare concentration, intensity and grip for Palmer, without a trace of overripeness, minerally. Balanced, a keeper. Longer and yet more precise with airing. Tempting to call this powerful. Palmer is one of Rainer’s and favourite terroirs, and this is vintage, surprisingly I must admit, seems one of the greatest in years. Wow! Rating: 93+/94(+?)
Château Palmer Margaux 1995
43% Merlot. Full ruby red. A touch of tomato to a basically similar aroma and flavour profile as the 2004, if less concentrated and minerally, less complex and finesseful, but almost as floral. Round tannin, the 1995 is really just mature enough to provide pleasure, certainly sweet, smooth and quite long. Rainer and I both referred the 1995 to the 1996, by the way. Rating: ~90
Clemens Busch Riesling Auslese*** #8 Pündericher Marienburg 2001
A half bottle thanks to Rainer. No need to type yet another TN other than to confirm this continues to perform splendidly. Rating: 93+/94
Dow’s Vintage Port 1970
Thanks to my parents. Portuguese bottling. Fine ruby-black colour. Raisins in rum, warm and viscous, round and not at all old. With airing more plum and soft blood orange. Perhaps less cedary-complex than the finest British merchant bottlings (ratings for those range from 93 to about 95 points), but more youthful than most, which made me wonder if this was bottled earlier than some of those. Rating: 92?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.