Tasted at the Chateau Palmer vertical in London, the 1928 Chateau Palmer was a Margaux in its dotage, but a sublime example of this legendary vintage. The bouquet is exquisite: not powerful or commanding, instead elegant and refined with vestiges of mulberry and red plum fruit, cedar, juniper berries and rusty piping. The palate is medium-bodied and very well balanced, clearly a wine that once upon a time possessed real backbone throughout its long career. Now it is almost Burgundy-like towards the harmonious finish, thanks to the extant fineness of its tannins. Edginess is imparted by veins of mandarin that interlace the austere, delightful finish, but what really completes this wines is its profound length, the sustain in the mouth. It had embarked upon its downward slope, yet continues to offer so much drinking pleasure. Tasted May 2015.

Tasted 3 Times With Inconsistent NotesThe 1928 is another extraordinary wine from that vintage that has taken 50+ years to reach its plateau of maturity. Pity the consumer who purchased a wine from this vintage in the thirties thinking they would drink it within their lifetime! The wine exhibits considerable rust and amber at the edge, as well as an intensely fragrant fruitcake, cedar, gingery nose, remarkably chewy, ripe flavors, and some of the vintage's renowned austerity and tannic bite. Where it has been well-stored, it remains a terrific example of the vintage.