2016 Château Palmer
And One of My Personal Favorites.
Ten years after the vintage, Château Palmer is bringing the 2016 back to market as part of its Ten Years On release: an estate release with a special label created specifically for this bottling, a decade of perfect provenance, and now five 100-point scores.
Jeb Dunnuck calls the 2016 the finest Palmer he has ever tasted, surpassing the legendary 2009 and 2010. Jeff Leve, Antonio Galloni, Wine Enthusiast and Jane Anson all agree at 100 points. At ten years old, 2016 Palmer is really just getting started.
100 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
100 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
100 Points – Wine Enthusiast
100 Points – Jane Anson
98+ Points – Wine Advocate
98 Points – Decanter
98 Points – James Suckling
That is an extraordinary level of agreement for any Bordeaux, even one with the pedigree of Château Palmer.
Our Tasting Note
The 2016 Palmer is a beautifully symmetrical blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, and that almost equal marriage of Cabernet and Merlot is one of the things that makes Palmer so unique.
Now at ten years of age, the wine is beginning to move beyond its primary fruit and reveal why great Palmer can be so extraordinary. Cassis, blackberry and black cherry are joined by violets, graphite, tobacco, spice and that unmistakable exotic perfume that seems to jump from the glass in great vintages of Palmer. The palate is deep and concentrated, but never heavy. The tannins are incredibly polished, the texture is almost velvet-like, and underneath all that richness is the freshness and structure to carry this wine for decades.
It has power, but it doesn’t beat you over the head with it. It has concentration, but it remains elegant. And it has a texture and perfume that very few Bordeaux estates can duplicate.
“Technical Director Thomas Duroux and his team made one of the most brilliant wines of the 2016 vintage. Palmer is simply exceptional. Rich and dramatically sweeping in the glass, the 2016 is breathtaking. All the elements simply fall into place in a wine of mesmerizing beauty. The counterpoint of dark, sumptuous fruit and floral notes makes for an utterly compelling Palmer that will take its place among the estate’s finest vintages. Dark cherry, lavender, spice and mocha are some of the many notes that build into a deep, substantial finish that is truly unforgettable. In a word: magnificent!”
“The finest vintage I’ve ever tasted from this estate, surpassing the 2009 and 2010, the 2016 Château Palmer is a blend of 47% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 65% new French oak. This magical effort reveals a saturated purple color as well as a huge nose of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and spring flowers, and it develops beautifully with time in the glass. Full-bodied, deep, incredibly concentrated and powerful, it nevertheless just glides over the palate with flawless purity and balance, present, ripe tannins, and a finish that just won’t quit. This is Bordeaux at its most regal and classic. It will be drinkable with just 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for half a century.”
“Still showing the color of a barrel sample, the wine is full bodied, silky, polished, fresh, vibrant and pure. The wine tastes as if you ran into the vineyard and grabbed a handful of grapes off the vine, and you ate them just moments before they were crushed. The fruit has so much purity, energy and sensuality, it is impossible not to go back to the glass for another sniff, swirl and sip. Another interesting point is the addition of a gentle chalky minerality in the finish, adding a beautiful layer to the complexity. This is easily one of the great vintages of Chateau Palmer and will age for decades with no effort.”
“Cassis, bilberry, cigar box, tobacco and pencil lead, with Palmer’s unmistakable violet and peony perfume. Powerful, muscular and still youthful, with the structure and chiseled fruit of great Bordeaux.”
“The 2016 Palmer is a blend of 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Opaque garnet-purple colored, it slowly glides out of the glass with compelling notes of blueberry compote, warm cassis and kirsch with emerging hints of violets, cigar box, black tea, sandalwood and Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, wonderfully rich, concentrated and packed with latent energy, the palate literally grows in the mouth, revealing layer upon layer of black, blue and red fruits and tons of floral sparks, framed by super ripe, incredibly fine-grained tannins and finishing with epic length. It’s a wine that makes you wanna drape yourself languidly over a chaise lounge, glass of Palmer in hand, sighing with deep satisfaction, ‘This is so wonderfully Palmer.’”
“Tar, smoke, dark chocolate, dark berries, tobacco, and earth on the nose. Precise, focused tannins and dark fruit on the palate. Compact yet expressive, showing attractive harmony. Layered and persistent. Approachable with some aeration, but will benefit from continued aging. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.”