2023 Chateau Palmer - 3eme Cru Classe Margaux

Decanter.com – 98 pts – GH: *What a Palmer in 2023! Crazy aromatics, full and bright, packed with intense scents of pink and purple flowers, damson fruit - clearly ripe no doubt, but no overt heat with some graphite and liquorice on the nose too and the dried herb Cabernet notes. Rich, layered and voluptuous, one you could use the word opulent to describe, full of flavour and really fruit forward. Not as overtly juicy as some, more harmonious and balanced, the tannins are perfectly integrated with the fruit and acidity with the added plushness that the Merlot gives to the blend. Powered and structured, but less serious than some with great energy, generosity and charm on show in terms of texture but it’s focussed too with a long length. Something very captivating about this. Lots of cool classicism on the finish with a salty, mineral, oyster shell undercurrent. 55% new oak for the first year in barrel then one year in 30hl foudre. 3.75pH. 13% press. 32hl/ha yield.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 97 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Mandarinenzesten, reife Herzkirschen, frische Brombeeren, zart nach Lakritze, noch etwas zurückhaltend. Komplex, kraftvoll, rote Kirschen, reife, tragende Tannine, rassiger Säurebogen, Ribiseltouch im Abgang, feine Kräuterwürze im Nachhall, bleibt haften, ein stoffiger Speisenbegleiter.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 96/100 pts: *Tiefdunkle Farbe, nobel im Duft, dunkle Beeren, Tabak, Kräuter, Weihnachtsgewürze; voluminöser Auftakt, dann straffer werdend, gut strukturiert, zupackendes Tannin, knackige Frucht, viel Spannung, wird gegen Ende immer leichtfüssiger, zeigt Rasse und Länge. Eindrücklich.*

WeinWisser – 19/20 pts – GL, TW: *50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 46 % Merlot, 4 % Petit Verdot, 32 hl/ha. Was für ein unglaubliches Parfüm, frischgepflückte Alpenheidelbeere, verführerischer Iris-Duft und Graphit. Im zweiten Ansatz edle Cassiswürze, Schattenmorellensaft und Schokopastillen. Am dicht verwobenen Gaumen mit samtiger Textur, tänzerischer vibrierender Rasse, berauschender Extraktfülle und durchtrainiertem Körper. Im nicht enden wollenden energiegeladenen Finale explodiert der Margaux, blaue Beeren, Holundernektar, tiefschürfende dunkle Mineralik und feinkörnige Adstringenz.* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JL: *50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. 32 hl/ha. Cask sample. Gourmand again, like the Alter Ego, but more complexity and depth on the nose. Unctuosity on the mid palate but length and persistence as well. Lovely texture of tannin but definitively structured to age.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (98-100) pts – AG: *A breathtaking wine, the 2023 Palmer is sensational. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2023 is a real head-turner. Readers will find an extroverted, dense Palmer that is immediately captivating. Here, too, the balance is mind-blowing. Ample and resonant, the 2023 is striking in its beauty. Waves of layered fruit rush out first, building through to the back end with stunning aromatic intensity. There is no other wine like Palmer in Bordeaux. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of a great Pomerol, as heretical as that might sound! If I could pick only one wine to own from the 2023 vintage, Palmer might very well be it.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (95-97) pts – NM: *The 2023 Palmer represents two-thirds of the crop this year, raised in barrel (50% new) until July, then racked into 3,000-liter /foudres/ for another 12 months. My sample was representative of the new oak ratio. The nose is very intense, as normal, loaded with blackberry, boysenberry, violet and veins of blood orange in the background. Powerful, though not in the same way as the barnstorming 2022, it manages to retain focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip on the entry. This is quite a deep Palmer with touches of licorice-tinged black fruit. It’s more opulent than almost all other Margaux wines this vintage, furnished with black pepper and allspice on the finish. It will require several years in bottle. The 2023 Palmer is one of the most long-term, serious wines on the Left Bank.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (97-99) pts – JL: *Violets, tobacco, blackberries, cigar box, spice, and black cherries form the perfume. On the palate, the wine is silky, lush, polished, and fresh. There is length, purity, velvety tannins, and a racy, energetic, fruit-packed finish, with an exotic touch of cardamon in the backend that adds even more of an edge. The almost seamless finish resonates for 50 seconds. The wine blends 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. 14% ABV, 3.75 pH. The harvest took place September 11 - October 5. Waiting the few extra days in September made the difference in the wine this year. Yields are a scant 32 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2029-2065.* - 05/2024