In magnum, the 1999 Palmer is drinking beautifully, offering up a deep and lavish bouquet of cherries and berries mingled with hints of cigar box and violets. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a sumptuous core of fruit, velvety tannins and a long, expansive finish, it's impressively seamless and concentrated and stands out as one of the vintage's high points. Drunk side by side with Chateau Margaux, also in magnum, it enjoyed a narrow but persuasive lead.