95 pts - Wine Advocate
The 1999 is the greatest Palmer made since 1961, 1966, 1970, 1983, and 1989. It is one of the superstars of the vintage. The wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. It boasts a staggering bouquet of violets and other spring flowers intermixed with licorice, black currants, and subtle wood. Only 50% of the production made it into the grand vin. This is a multidimensional, compelling effort with both power and elegance, it offers sweet tannin along with flavors that caress the palate, and a 45-second finish. This is terrific stuff! Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. RP
91 pts - Wine Spectator
92 pts - Vinous
Good medium ruby. Boysenberry, currant, graphite, mocha, underbrush and roast coffee on the nose, along with sexy smoky oak. Lush, sweet and vinous, with complex, explosive dark berry flavors and impressive density for the year. Plump and pliant. Finishes with broad, lightly dusty tannins and excellent length. In comparison to this, the 21 is drier and tighter, even allowing for the difference in age between the two vintages.- Stephen Tanzer (5/22)