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Wine Description
The Story
It has always been the Champagne PALMER founders’ will and spirit to maintain an active policy of preservation of rare and wonderful vintage wines: 1989, 1987, 1985, 1979, 1976, 1961, 1959... They are one of the prides of our House and often constitute a real revelation.
These inestimable flacons are kept many long years in a position known as "sur pointe ", that means on the wine deposit, the bottles being upright placed, necks upside down. This position allows to slow down the exchanges which are going to take place gently and smoothly between the wine and its deposit; this is the security of a “second life” for the champagne.
A long maturation of twenty years and more, in the heart of our deep chalky cellars, confers a rare complexity and a plenitude to these flacons. These wines of a luxurious golden color develop complex and elegant flavors (honey, toasted notes, coffee bean, dried fruits, spices, truffle …) and an intensity of taste concentrated in a palette of extraordinary nuances, while keeping a remarkable freshness.
The champagne “sur pointe” will keep on improving and developing its wealth until the day it is disgorged (expulsion of the deposit). This operation is made on demand, by small lots, a few weeks before delivery.
These flacons of anthology are fundamentally wines for meals. It’s around a table, in association with chosen dishes that they reveal their incredible wealth and subtlety. They always bring a supplement of refinement and allow to compose brilliant gastronomic symphonies.
Vintage 1999
A difficult start to the year led to early budbreak. There were some damaging hailstorms in early May, but the frost ultimately stayed away. The summer was overall warm and thanks to the hot and dry August, the grapes looked promising for the harvest. However, a damp September challenged producers and dilution was an issue for some. The 1999 harvest that started on September 15th produced a large yield (12,989 kg/ha) of sweet grapes that resulted in soft wines, low in acidity, which produced Champagnes that, in many cases, miss linearity and structure. Voluptuous and enjoyable with ripe, fruity, even exotic characters but in most cases for the medium-term only, even if the best seem to be maturing better than initially expected. The red wines of the year were exceptional and resulted in some outstanding prestige cuvée rosés, such as Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé and Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé.
