Enticing ruby red body, with aromatics that show a touch of orange zest and turmeric spice. The fruit is creamy, intense, a brilliant Palmer that has finesse and balance but a serious kick. Black pepper, cinammon, raspberry, bilberry fruits, smoked earth and campfire on the finish, so juicy, totally salivating with a slate-textured close of play. Delicious, and a great sign that the 2005 vintage is starting to swing open. Harvest September 22 to October 7, 60% new oak. A long dry summer, with 57% less rainfall than usual, although temperatures never climbed as high as in 2003. Impossible to stop smiling after this.

Sexy in its texture and boquet. The nose has this blackberry liqueur motif, with a great purity of fruit. The addition of spice box, cedar, tobacco and floral elements just increases the complexity. Silk and velvet textures accompany the wealth of sweet, ripe fruits. Due to its velvet nature, you can enjoy this now, but patient consumers that are willing to wait another 5 year or so, will be amply rewarded. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2005+palmer

The 2005 Palmer is made from 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it is very shut down on the nose to begin, slowly revealing a powerhouse of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and licorice scents with hints of candied violets and unsmoked cigars. Big, rich, full-bodied, and opulent in the mouth, it has seductively velvety tannins and fantastic length. Still very young, it is approachable at this stage, but expect great things to come with a further 5-10 years of patience. Drink it to 2050+. Palmer is located in the Cantenac sector of Margaux. Most of the plots are situated on the plateau, with the best located around the Chateau. It is worth noting that these prime blocks were not part of the estate in 1855, which is probably why it was ranked a third growth instead of a second (or first). From 1945, a large percentage of Merlot was planted at the estate and it continues to have one of the highest percentages of this grape planted at a Medoc property, currently accounting for around 47% of the vineyard area. In 2004, Thomas Duroux took over from the long-serving Jean Bouteiller as winemaker. He started experimenting with biodynamic viticulture in 2008 and Palmer went fully biodynamic in 2014.

The 2005 Château Palmer is utterly brilliant, and it will be interesting to compare this to the 2009 over the coming two decades. Still vivid ruby/plum-hued, it has a beautiful nose of ripe blueberries and darker cherries that give way to more violets, smoked tobacco, spice, and flowery incense-like nuances. It's beautifully textured, utterly seamless, has full-bodied richness, and flawless tannins. It's drinking spectacularly well today (this bottle had been decanted for three hours) yet will evolve gracefully over the coming two decades. It’s 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot that spent two years all in barrels (60% new).

Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 2005 Château Palmer is a legend in the making. Apparently the vines received 57% less rain than average, yet the 2005 shrugs off any water deficiency and has nurtured a wondrously pixelated bouquet, whereby mineralité shines through the black cherry and blueberry fruit. Search deeper and you discover veins of graphite that impart a Pauillac-like allure. The palate is medium-bodied and intense, but it is not overwhelming, a Margaux that is galvanized with a firm backbone thereby ensuring this will age over the long term. The symmetry here is enthralling - a 2005 that is destined for greatness. The only question is whether it will surpass the 2009 or 2010 Palmer? It will be fun finding out. - Neal Martin

One of the most famed estates of Margaux, only behind Château Margaux itself. The estate is a 3ème Cru Classé but has long been considered a supersecond. The estate is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 5% - with the high proportion of Merlot setting it apart from many left bank properties. Strong cloves on the nose, this remains very young at 10 years old, but has the heady perfume that makes Palmer such a distinctive and beguiling wine. A hefty wine, ambitious and muscular (this vintage is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon with 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot). Notes of incense and damsons. You have to sit with the glass, let it unfurl on your tongue, needs food if you are drinking soon. Showcases the power of 2005, and its success. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-palmer-bordeaux-france-2005-2437#35FwftMQr3Ssgb7l.99

The Château Palmer 2005 is blessed with a very intense bouquet (as usual!) with black cherries, wild strawberry, dried herbs and a strong peppermint scent that comes as some surprise, but is in sync with the rest of the aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very poised in the mouth with blackberry, cedar and graphite notes. This is a backward Margaux but you cannot deny the precision and persistence on the finish. Fabulous.

Aromas of black tar, chocolate and berries lead to a wine that is so effortlessly delicious that it's easy to forget the power the Merlot gives it. The center is round, but dark, filled with sweetness; the outer layers are full of red jelly and toast. There are tannins, but they, too, are sweet.

What a nose of milk chocolate, with raspberries and hints of plums and flowers. A wonderful nose. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and a chocolate, nut, and dark fruit character on the palate. The fine tannins and great balance make you want to drink this, but you should wait and let it all out. Pull the cork in 2016.

The 2005 Palmer, picked from September 9 to October 10, remains deep in color. It has a lovely, intense bouquet with blackcurrant pastilles, raspberry, violet and juniper. It blossoms in the glass, gaining vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, structured and dense, strangely Pomerol-like in style, with touches of black pepper and truffle furnishing the finish. Robust and muscular, it lacks a bit of flair and precision (like many wines of this vintage). I would afford this another couple of years in the cellar. Tasted at the Palmer vertical at the château. -- Neal Martin

Features a bright flash of bay leaf and savory out front, with streak of tobacco and cedar amid the relatively open core of black cherry and black currant fruit. The long finish has a terrific iron note ringing through. Among the more approachable of this group, but no less serious. Drink now through 2030. – JM