Let’s start with the furthest first, all the way to the idyllic little hamlet of Margaux, tucked away in that humblest of wine growing regions, Bordeaux. Ah, Bordeaux, where the air is pure, the living is easy and the vignerons eke out a meager living by charging a friggin’ king’s ransom for bottles of fermented grape juice.
The other side of the coin is quality. And Bordeaux wine is, in general, top-quality stuff. And we’ve just secured a run of vintages from Ch. Palmer, one of the best of the best.
Palmer is a wine for all seasons. The château captures the perfumed elegance of its Margaux commune, the warmth of Pomerol, the firm structure and balance of Graves, the classic stylings of Pauillac and the aging power of St-Estèphe. If it is true that Palmer shines in less than perfect vintages, she is truly the sun in exceptional ones.
The 1961 Palmer ($2999) is the sun... and the moon and the stars. This is legendary, massive in scope. The concentration of ripe black fruits seem to have been condensed so as to fit in the bottle! Gorgeous toasty notes and a sturdy backbone. The wine is unbelievable.
The 1981 Palmer ($169) and 1982 Palmer ($349) are at either end of the spectrum. The ’81 has a casual elegance, with subtle forest floor qualities and cedary undertones. Perfect for the cheese course. The ’82 has sweetness and softness. It is a big, ripe wine with expansive if not concentrated fruit flavours. Perfect right now.
The 1990 Palmer (Inquire) is broad shouldered and extroverted, as befits so many of the offerings from this huge and hot vintage. Ripe and smooth and ready for consumption now.
Last but not least, the 1995 Palmer ($159) and 1996 Palmer ($169) both contain a higher portion of merlot than usual, but don’t assume that the wines have an easygoing demeanor. Quite the opposite: the ’95 has the easy smile, yes, but also the firm handshake and a heady bouquet that overloads the senses and fills the room. The ’96 is built for the long haul. The wine is immense, yes, but both bouquet and flavor are still expanding. Despite more than a decade in age, one can only view the wine from the other end of the telescope. I’d save it at least another half decade, and I might be off by a decade!
The Wines Of Duane Cronin
It is with truly mixed emotions that K&L will offer the last stocks of wine made by the late Duane Cronin. Duane was a super human being, incredibly bright, immensely talented. But for me, he was first and foremost a really nice man. He was a longtime friend of Jim Barr (so Jim had at least three friends, including his dog) and a fixture in the Santa Cruz Mountains. His winery is right up the road, his wines are locked into memory, and his memory is close to the heart.
We’ll have more details soon, and many vintages and varietals to choose from. —Joe Zugelder