Chateau Palmer 2006

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Tasted at Bordeaux Index´s annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Palmer was wonderful out of barrel ten years ago and now in bottle, it fulfills its promise with a stunning, precise bouquet of maraschino, iodine, cassis and tobacco scents that seem a few years younger than its Margaux peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin that cloak its sweet core of cassis and blackcurrant fruit. However, what is so striking is the fineness of the tannin and just how well that oak is subsumed into the fabric of the wine. This is a long-term proposition: a great Margaux from Thomas Duroux. Tasted January 2016."

WEINWISSER: "Dunkles Granat-Purpur, rubiner Rand. Diskretes, sehr feines Bouquet, noch zurückhaltend, schöne Tiefe, schwarze Beeren, Lakritze, Teernuancen. Fester, stoffiger Gaumen, viel Fleisch im delikat süssen Extrakt zeigend, fest eingebundene Tannine und Säure, weit ausgelegt, ein beruhigender, nicht spekulativer Palmer mit viel Klasse und ebenso viel Potenzial."

DECANTER: "This was another maligned Bordeaux vintage, and there was certainly enough rain in September and early October to cause concern. But Cabernet Sauvignon ripens late, and could be picked after the October rain. Tannins can be tough, but the vintage would be more highly regarded had it not followed the superb 2005. Palmer produced a beautiful wine with sweet juicy blackcurrant aromas that are perfumed and lifted. Fortunately the tannins are refined, and the palate overall is poised and balanced, showing ripe black fruits and fine balancing acidity. The long finish assures further ageing potential. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very, very deep crimson. Very intense and nervy – impressive on the nose – but more obviously big and fruity than the more delicate Ch Margaux. Probably a wise decision to choose another track. Slightly charred and smoky. Round and fresh and very beguiling. Real lift and only the slightest hint of inkiness on the finish. Bravo! Very fine tannins – very suave and polished with good density while still being Margaux. Very sweet . Hints of modern idiom but very gentle. Super silky texture. Sinewy - but polished sinews!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "A few hours in the decanter added a lot to the wine, softening the tannins, adding body and roundness to the textures. The fruit is refined, the nose is complex and there is good length. This is starting to open, but it's still young. Give it several more years and this should be quite charming."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "A big, brooding wine, the fruit ripe and dense. Richness surrounds structure, giving a sumptuous layer to the dusty tannins. Flavors of currants, spice and juicy berries flow through the wine, giving power and suavity. The freshness of 2006 shows on the finish of this important wine."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Coffee, plum and spices on the nose follow through to a full body, with lovely fruit and a soft, silky-textured finish. Very balanced and beautiful, with lots of violet, new wood and richness. Long. Needs time. Best after 2015."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2006 Palmer is outstanding, with terrific complexity in its black cherry, cedar wood, spice, forest floor and truffle aromas and flavors. Made from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, it has medium to full-bodied richness, an elegant, seamless texture, and still present tannins that emerge on the finish, all boding well for another 15+ years of prime drinking."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, jugendliche Reflexe, violetter Rand. In der Nase stoffige, süße Beerenfrucht, feine Gewürzanklänge von Zimt, Nelken, Sternanis im Bukett, zarter Schokotouch. Am Gaumen stoffig, kraftvolle Textur, festes Tannin, das bereits sehr gut integriert ist, gute Mineralik, voll mit saftiger, extraktsüßer Frucht, vielversprechende Länge, steht dem Premier Cru so gut wie nicht nach. Sehr klassisch ausgefallener Wein mit toller Terroirprägung."