2023 Alter Ego de Palmer (Zweitwein Chateau Palmer) - Margaux AC

Decanter.com – 93 pts – GH: *Gorgeous nose, so full, voluptuous, intensely aromatic, violets, blackcurrants, damsons, cherries, plums, tobacco and liquorice and cedar spice. Deep pink purple rim too. Nice weight straight away but with tension - you get clearly ripe fruit with such high acidity. Balanced, relatively lean but still juicy, certainly full and intense but streamlined ending on a real graphite and wet stone note. Slightly more lean and austere than some but not harsh, just not as fleshy as normal. It’s got body and style, nice movement and energy, a hint of fleshiness and subtle chew to the tannins. I like this, feels a real mix of ripe and cool with freshness on the finish. 3.75pH. 14% press.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 94 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Intensive dunkle Waldbeerfrucht, zart nach Lakritze, reife Kirschen, zartes Nugatkaramell, feiner Vanilletouch ist unterlegt. Mittlere Komplexität, rotbeeriger Touch, feine Tannine, Kirschen, salzig im Nachhall, ein lebendiger, anregender Speisenbegleiter.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 93/100 pts: *Kräftig, dunkelfruchtig, Brombeere, Röstnoten, florale Töne; kompakt gebaut, zeigt Dichte, eine reife Frucht, feines, reifes Tannin, reiffruchtiges, dennoch frisches Finale. Wird früh Spass machen.*

WeinWisser – 18/20 pts – GL, TW: *Intensives blaubeeriges Bouquet, zartes Veilchenparfüm, Heidelbeerdrops und Milchschokolade. Am geradlinigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, reifem Tanningerüst, perfekt stützender Rasse und mittlerem Körper. Im gebündelten aromatischen Finale ein Korb mit Schattenmorellen, Estragon und reifer Extraktfülle.* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 16,5/20pts – JL: *53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Ripe and full with an explosion of fruit. Sweet, round and gourmand on the palate. Touch of warmth but balanced by the freshness of the tannins. Distinctive in style.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (93-95) pts – AG: *The 2023 Alter Ego is plump, juicy and super-expressive. Soft, silky tannins enshroud a core of plum, red cherry, spice, menthol and mocha. All the elements are so nicely balanced. A burst of red-toned fruit and spice lingers on a finish lifted by bright acids. This is such a sensual Alter Ego.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (92-94) pts – NM: *The 2023 Alter Ego represents one-third of the crop, coming exclusively from gravel soil and picked at 32hL/ha. It displays a very deep purple hue. The bouquet is notably opulent, with the Merlot very expressive and shaping the aromatics at the moment. Hints of cassis and violets lurk beneath, perhaps needing a little more delineation. The palate is actually cut from a slightly different cloth, more restrained and a touch spicier than expected. Graphite and tobacco emerge toward the finish, as if the reins have been passed over to the Cabernet component. This will be fascinating to revisit in bottle—I would just like to see more aromatic composure.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (92-94) pts – JL: *Tobacco, cedar, savory herbs, flowers, currants, cocoa, spice, and licorice pop without asking in the nose. On the palate, the wine is even better. Medium-bodied, racy, fresh, vibrant, and also loaded with fresh, vivid, black, red, and blue fruits, spice, mint, and dark chocolate. The end note lingers with the perfect blend of refreshing acidities, and lush, silky, velvety fruits. The wine is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. 13.9% ABV, 3.75 pH. Drink from 2028-2043.* - 05/2024