Palmer 1996 and Alter Ego 2007

These are notes from the tasting at Palmer, very near our hotel in Margaux, France a few weeks ago. They are fragmentary since I didn't take detailed notes at the time. Alter Ego is the second wine of Palmer and '07 is considered a mediocre year. The wine was oaky and plummy, certainly not unpleasant. It was a great treat to taste the '96 Palmer which is an expensive bottle of wine from a good year. My notes say sweet Margaux nose, plum and cherry with currant. Very silky tannins and firm acid. I'd say it's about 2 years from peaking.

A Parker taster (not Parker) in March 2010 wrote: 93 points. Deep garnet colour going a little brick. The nose is very forthcoming with a good intensity of earthy loam and black truffle aromas mingled with dark cherry, leather, tar and black olive. Medium to high acidity and a medium+ level of very fine tannins. Great balance. Long finish.

Parker said in 1999:

Wine Advocate # 122 Apr 1999	Robert Parker	91	Drink: 2007 - 2028	$114-$262
This wine, a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, is performing well after its July, 1998 bottling. It boasts an impressively saturated purple color, in addition to a backward yet intense nose of black plums, currants, licorice, and smoke. Following terrific fruit on the attack, the wine's structure and tannin take over. There is plenty of sweet fruit, and the tannin is well-integrated, but the wine requires 7-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2028.

From a Sept 2009 tasting on Jancis Robinson

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc (last Cabernet Franc at Palmer), 40% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Cooler but sunny summer. Great Cabernet in this vintage in Bordeaux generally. A more classic Palmer.
Deep youthful garnet. Open, sweet dark and spiced fruit. Smell the sun. Spice and truffles coming through as it opens up. You can still smell the sweet toasty oak though this was not the first vintage of new vats. Rich sweet pure fruit. Firm but rounded tannins and long aromatic finish. Fine cedary aftertaste. Very pure and direct and frank, some herbaceousness adding aroma but not greenness. 17+.