Palmer

(a blend of 52% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 7% petit verdot; cropped at 34 hectoliters per hectare) Very dark ruby. Rich, concentrated aromas of ripe dark plum and blackberry show a pure, penetrating quality. Dense, rich and wonderfully tactile on the palate, with pure black fruit and graphite flavors nicely complicated by cocoa and coffee. Finishes very long, but with slightly rigid tannins that left me wishing for a touch more generosity. A very strong wine, but not quite as impressive as I expected in the context of the vintage-and more tannic than usual.