Chateau Palmer 1989: one of my all time favourites

by Eugene Bergen
Drank next to the Grand Puy Lacoste 1990. For reference: the Lacoste opens with an overwhelmingly beautiful display of intensity and harmony of otherworldly and abundantly ripe fruit. That is a lot of superlatives and yes: it is as if you were dropped from space onto a heavenly meadow at its peak of summer. Clearly more masculine that the Palmer 1989 next to it, with some seasoned-leather quality, the rich fruit all meshed together in a feast for the palate. More blatant ambition to please thru impact compared to the more feminine sophisticated Palmer. The Lacoste has a very subtle bitterness in the aftertaste that is rather typical for Pauillac.

And if you agree the Lacoste 1990 is spectacular: wait until you taste the Palmer 1989. I was eagerly waiting to see whether that, (seriously?) could surpass the Grand Puy Lacoste 1990, and yes, it did. On top of all the beauty of the Lacoste, the Palmer adds a tantalizing dimension of jaw gum stimulating but ever so subtle acidity, like minerality submerged in red and black fruit of , comparable to a combination of pomegranate & papaya. It is even more complex, more subtle and for that matter even more magical. It’s aftertaste lasts more than a minute and is still sticking to my palate as we speak many minutes later. I looove this wine!

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