Chronicle 85. Palmer versus Pichon Comtesse: 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, purchased bottles

Palmer versus Pichon Comtesse : 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 1995 Palmer and 1995 Grand Puy Lacoste Chronicle n° 85 (octobre 4th 2009) TO LEARN IS TO COMPARE After Palmer vs. Orneillaia published last year, today is Palmer vs. Pichon Comtesse in vintages from 2000 to 2005. One participant of this tasting has added two outsiders: 1995 Grand Puy Lacoste and 1995 Palmer . I have long wanted to compare these two wines which blends are largely based on merlot for wines from the Medoc. Furthermore, their philosophy of winemaking seems close. At both estates, the concepts of balance and gentle extraction are presented as reliable values of good taste. It is probably the Miailhe family, involved in the management of these two estates since before the Second World War, who is responsible for the high proportion of merlot. In these times of economic crisis, the merlot had the advantage of being harvested earlier and to faster seduce consumers. If I am referring to the level of my ratings, Palmer should have dominated Pichon Comtesse . Counting the points, the estate finished in the lead position, but undistinguished. The hopes raised by the presence of the 2000 and 2002 vintages has not been filled. Once again, the difference in taste from one bottle to another has troubled. Yet, all bottles of this tasting were purchased directly at Château Pichon Comtesse and Château Palmer . Indeed, neither transport nor storage can explain these variations in taste. Pleasure rating : This is an indication of the current hedonistic character of a wine, in other words, the one that should be opened in order to deliver the most pleasure at this time (see conclusion). The tasting was held in Paris in late 2008, in public and blind in the order shown below, with undecanted bottles. ALTER EGO 2005……………………………………………. 15,75 // 88 Showing an intense dark color with a young, spicy, fruity and very ripe nose, this wine performs soft and very, very fruity, becoming sweet from the mid-palate. It finishes powerful and with coated tannins. There is a syrah character in this wine of Southern accents. Wait until 2013. Pleasure rating 15 // 86 ALTER EGO 2002……………………………………………. 16,25 // 89 Showing a dark color and a lovely pure nose of fresh fruit along with a hint of coffee, this wine is superbly well built, offering a velvet character from entry to finish. It is full of taste, with apparent tannins yet plenty of aromas. This Alter ego is very enjoyable today and before 2015-2020. Pleasure rating 16 // 88 PICHON COMTESSE 2003……………………………… 16,5 // 90 Showing a lovely youthful and vivid color of medium intensity, this wine offers a very beautiful, pure, fresh, floral, aromatic and slightly vivid nose. While its vivid character is difficult to explain for the 2003 vintage, nevertheless, this Pichon Comtesse is very good, and even more so upon swirling. It performs silky on the palate where its taste of licorice and violet is marveling. The wine melts over a character that slightly lacks ripeness and finishes of medium length. It is a wine that I recommend drinking today given how much pleasure it delivers now. Drink before 2015. Drink before 2015. Pleasure rating 16.5 // 90 PALMER 2003……………………………………………….. 16 // 88 - 89 The color is already evolved and the nose offers a very “merlot” and very ripe character, with a hint of tiredness. Upon swirling, it evokes cedar and nutmeg aromas. As such, I do recognize that it is Palmer. Lovely and sweet on entry, this wine has both volume and fat. Freshness then arrives on the mid-palate, yet the wine is caught by a slightly green, firm character on finish. Medium length. I am not sure whether time will benefit to this wine. Pleasure rating 14.5 // 85 PICHON COMTESSE 2004……………………………… 16,25 // 89 Showing a vivid and quite intense blue color, the nose of this wine is fruity and very fresh, almost cold. It offers some hints of violet, licorice and flowers. While performing soft on entry, it very soon lacks power. This vintage behaves similar to a Burgundy, with superb aromas of violet and licorice on the mid-palate and great softness on finish. It is a pity that its body remains average. Wait until 2011 and drink before 2020. Pleasure rating 15.5 // 87 PALMER 2004……………………………………………….. 17 // 92 Showing an intense dark red color with a very aromatic nose that evokes black fruits and cherry, this wine is fresher and finer upon swirling. Of rather large volume on entry, this 2004 Palmer performs fat, aromatic and quite wide for the vintage, melting on the mid-palate and expanding on finish. Indeed, the wine finishes dense, deep, tasty and still very youthful. Very good length. Wait until 2011-2013 and drink before 2030. Pleasure rating 15.5 // 87 PALMER 2001……………………………………………….. 16,5 // 90 Showing a vivid color of good intensity, this wine offers a nose of medium aromatic intensity that slightly lacks ripeness. Ditto upon air contact in the glass. Initially tender, very fruity and melting on entry, this Palmer then becomes more powerful, yet without losing its softness. Tannins are fine and aromatic and overall it performs quite subtle. Wait until 2011 and drink before 2025. Pleasure rating 15.5 // 87 PICHON COMTESSE 2001……………………………… 17 // 92 Showing a slightly evolved lovely dark red color, this wine offers a moderately aromatic, fresh, ripe and subtle nose with a vanilla character. Sweet on entry, then mellow on the mid-palate, the wine is melting, subtle and fat. It delivers a good presence on the mid-palate and finishes long and fat with some density. It is very good and more open than Palmer. Drink now and before 2020. Pleasure rating 16.5 // 90 GRAND PUY LACOSTE 1995………………………. 16,25 // 89 While its color is more youthful than Palmer, its nose appears very close. The nose of this wine lacks in ripeness. On the palate, it performs fruity and soft, of subtle touch and then tasty. Medium body. Power slightly lacks on finish. Drink now and before 2020. Pleasure rating 15.5 // 87 PALMER 1995……………………………………………….. 17 // 92 Showing a slightly evolved color, this wine still offers a fresh nose of fruit and vanilla aromas. Very lovely on entry, it then develops dense, fruity and very tasty on the mid-palate. Its aromatic character covers well tannins that are still a bit apparent. Taste now or wait until 2012. It can be kept for another 20 years. Pleasure rating 16 // 88 PALMER 2002……………………………………………….. 16,75 // 91 This wine did not show as I expected. The nose was too vivid, and while it melted on the palate, yet it lacked its usual density. Nevertheless, it finishes aromatic. This is a faulty bottle as confirmed by some other very good tastings of this wine made since then. Pleasure rating 15 // 86 PICHON COMTESSE 2002……………………………… 16 // 88 - 89 Showing a blue color of medium intensity, this wine offers a nose of medium aromatic intensity, appearing fruity, animal and slightly milky. Vivid on the palate, this wine would benefit from being decanted. Its tannins lack ripeness, despite being finely extracted. It finishes over a medium length of tobacco flavor. Wait until 2012. Pleasure rating 15 // 86 PALMER 2005……………………………………………….. 18,5 // 96 Showing an intense dark and still blue color, this wine offers a very aromatic, fine, fruity and subtle nose with a lovely smell of flowers and cherry. There are no traces of alcohol anymore as it used to be in its infancy. Mellow, subtle, intense and deep with taste on the palate, this 2005 Palmer delivers both body and a very melting character. It is particularly aromatic and finishes over a very great and subtle length that is complex with flavors of wood, vanilla, fruit and spices. It is a superb wine that I cannot help but swallowing. Great wine. Wait until 2013-2015. Pleasure rating 16 // 88 PICHON COMTESSE 2005……………………………… 16,5 // 90 Showing a slightly evolved color of medium intensity, this wine offers a too discreet nose. While caressing on the palate, yet it lacks the volume and complexity of the vintage. Tannins are coated. It looks like winemakers have been afraid of their task! Wait until 2012. Pleasure rating 15 // 86 PICHON COMTESSE 2000……………………………… 17 // 92 Showing a lovely dark and intense red color, this wine offers a fruity, fresh, ripe and aromatic nose of vanilla. Sweet on entry, it then melts with grace on the palate, with a tasty evolution. Pleasure rating 16 // 88 PALMER 2000……………………………………………….. 16,25 // 89 This bottle did not perform well, although it was sourced directly from the estate. Offering a milky nose along with a quite firm and even rigid palate, this wine finishes short despite being aromatic. Decidedly, my taste buds are not favoring this vintage of Palmer (tasted twice at similar level in 2008). Pleasure rating 14,5 // 85 CONCLUSION : OPEN PICHON COMTESSE, KEEP PALMER What comes out of this tasting is the fact that at similar ages, between the 2000 and 2005 vintages, the pleasure rating is higher with Pichon Comtesse than with Palmer. This means that Pichon Comtesse is more enjoyable to drink and serve than Palmer. Would Palmer have a higher ageing potential? Would its access to a high pleasure rating take more time? I would be tempted to believe so given how much Palmer seems fuller bodied than Pichon Comtesse. It remains to be verified. I hope doing so within a future comparative tasting to be made between the 1995 and 2007 vintages. PALMER PICHON COMTESSE Note potentielle Note plaisir Note potentielle Note plaisir 2005 18,5 // 96 16 // 88 16,5 // 90 15 // 86 2004 17 // 92 15,5 // 87 16,25 // 89 15,5 // 87 2003 16 // 88 - 89 15 // 86 16,5 // 90 16,5 // 90 2002 16,75 // 91 15 // 86 16 // 88 - 89 15 // 86 2001 16,5 // 90 15,5 // 87 17 // 92 16,5 // 90 2000 16,25 // 89 14,5 // 85 17 // 92 16 // 88 Moyenne 16,83 // 91 15,25 // 86,5 16,54 // 90,25 15,75 // 87,83 Note: the orange color highlights the highest pleasure ratings. WILL THE 2009 VINTAGE BE BETTER THAN 2005 ? You can check my daily update of the coverage of the 2009 harvest from the homepage of my website at www.quarin.com . Jean-Marc Quarin ______________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright: The news media and subscribing wine distributors, importers and retailers may use brief portions of this material (such as tasting notes, ratings or quotes) provided that it is not distorted, the proper wine and vintage are stated, Quarin.com is given credit for the material utilized, and Jean-Marc Quarin (JMQ) is shown as the Copyright holder.

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Chronicle 85. Palmer versus Pichon Comtesse: 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, purchased bottles

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