A very good '70 and a top vintage for this château. Although not tasted until 1979, I have masses of notes since - nearly 20 in the last decade. They are so consistent that it is no point in repeating even a fraction of the comments. At a Palmer dinner we were given the cépage mix - starting with Cabernet Sauvignon at 30.5%. Most unusually the Merlot was higher, but either the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot numbers did not add up or I got the figures down wrong. Though now showing some maturity it is a lovely, rich, well-balanced wine and drinking superbly. Lasted tasted in 2001. 5 Stars * * * * *
Not yet fully mature, the 1970 Palmer is one of the great wines of the vintage. It exhibits a dark, opaque garnet color, and an emerging, fabulously complex, exotic nose of licorice, over-ripe plums and blackcurrants, soy, cedar, and minerals. Rich and concentrated, with medium to full body, a sweet inner-core of fruit, firm but silky tannin, and a long, rich finish, this remains a youthful, potentially superb Palmer. While approachable, it will benefit from another 3-5 years of cellaring, and will keep through the first 10-15 years of the next century.
