Château Palmer - Margaux 1989

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

the5/31/1999

Deep ruby color at the center, with a red edge. Shows lovely floral, berry and plum aromas and hints of earth. Full-bodied and chewy, with masses of tannins and a long, sweet and ripe berry aftertaste. Just peeking through the curtain. Great potential. Muscular-style Palmer.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2000.

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1997

Palmer's 1989 is one of the vintage's great successes. The wine exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, a sweet, jammy nose of black fruits, intermingled with floral scents, licorice, and a touch of truffles. Full-bodied and supple, with low acidity, copious quantities of ripe fruit and glycerin, and a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, harmonious, seamless texture, this is a gorgeous Palmer. It may turn out similar to this estate's brilliant 1962 and 1953. Although approachable, it will improve for another decade, and last for 20-25 years.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/30/1993

Palmer has done a magnificent job with their 1989, which continues to be a wine of immense seduction. The expansive, rich, fat texture owes its opulence to the high percentage of Merlot used by this property. Opaque deep ruby/purple, this full-bodied, satiny wine has considerable alcoholic clout, is low in acidity, but splendidly concentrated and abundantly full of velvety tannins. It will be fascinating to see if this wine ultimately rivals the great Palmers made in 1983, 1970, 1966, and 1961. This is a thrilling 1989! Anticipated maturity: Now-2012. Last tasted, 3/93.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/2/1993

Palmer's 1989 is magnificent. It remains a wine of immense seduction. The bouquet roars from the glass, offering aromas of black fruit, spring flowers, licorice, and sweet oak. The expansive, rich, fat texture owes its opulence to the high percentage of Merlot used by this property. Opaque deep ruby/purple, this full-bodied, satiny wine has considerable alcoholic clout, is low in acidity, but splendidly concentrated and abundantly full of velvety tannins. It will be fascinating to follow this wine's evolution. Anticipated maturity: 1994-2012.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/1/1992

Palmer has done a magnificent job with their 1989. It remains a wine of immense seduction, but, as Palmer so often does, it continues to put on considerable weight and now also reveals wonderful structure. The bouquet roars from the glass, offering aromas of black fruit, spring flowers, licorice, and sweet oak. The expansive, rich, fat texture owes its opulence to the high percentage of Merlot used by this property. Opaque deep ruby/purple, this full-bodied, satiny wine has considerable alcoholic clout, is low in acidity, but splendidly concentrated and abundantly full of velvety tannins. It will be fascinating to see if this wine ultimately rivals the great Palmers made in 1983, 1970, 1966, and 1961. This is a thrilling 1989! Anticipated maturity: 1994-2012. Tasted seven times. Inconsistent notes during its first year in cask, it has performed splendidly in the bottle.

Wine Advocate

94-97 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/1/1992

Palmer can be the most seductive wine of the Medoc when its proprietors get things right. The 1989 is a deceptively supple, generous, and fleshy wine that seems almost too tasty to support decades of cellaring. But do not be fooled! It displays that compelling fragrance that Palmer so frequently achieves in great vintages - aromas of flowers, super-ripe, plummy fruit, and toasty oak. A satiny-textured wine, with velvety tannins, and splendid levels of fruit extraction, at two years of age it is frightfully easy to drink. It will develop more structure and focus, along the lines of the sublime 1961. While not as massive as the 1983, it is one of the thrilling wines of 1989; I have consistently rated it between 94-97.