Description
Château Palmer was established in the first half of the nineteenth century by the English general, Charles Palmer. In 1814, on his way back from the Peninsular War where he had fought with Wellington against Napoleon, General Palmer acquired Château de Gascq and gave it his own name.
In 1938, the Sichel family joined forces with a group of wine merchant friends to purchase the property.
Today, the vines of Château Palmer (AOC Margaux) cover a surface of 52 hectares of croupes (knolls) of Garonne gravel and are made up of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. This combination of soil and grape varieties has been the greatest asset of Château Palmer (3ème Cru Classé) from its earliest beginnings.
At Château Palmer, tradition and evolving techniques have always gone hand in hand, and always with respect for the typical characteristics of this outstanding terroir.
Highly reputed worldwide, the wines of Château Palmer rank among the most prestigious of Bordeaux and are coveted by keen wine enthusiasts the world over.
A new approach to selection and blending has yielded this supple and rounded wine, distinguished by its freshness of fruit, crisp intensity and richness…from the moment out of barrel, it’s all that’s natural, bottled.
With its dark red robe, Alter Ego 2019 immediately impresses with its explosive aromatics. Subtle notes of red fruits evoking raspberries and redcurrants blend harmoniously with the floral fragrance of a field in spring. The sensation on the palate, initially refreshing, unfolds into a texture of great softness and length. This is Alter Ego at its best – a wine perfectly true to its identity.
Blend: 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot
The Barrel Sample for this wine is under 14% ABV.
Critical Acclaim
JS96
James Suckling
Intense aromas of blackcurrants, cedar and ripe tobacco with hints of violets, following through to a full-bodied palate with extremely refined tannins that are well-integrated into the wine and are long and subtle at the finish. Such precision and harmony with structure. From biodynamically grown grapes. Best after 2023.
D94
Decanter
Cinnamon spice on the nose, with a patisserie edge to the fruits that gives a rich, creamy impression. As ever with the Palmer stable of wines, you can pick out the individual flavours clearly, with careful and precise delineation of cassis, bilberry, slate and tobacco notes, but overall this is an outstanding Alter Ego that puts the emphasis on pleasure. Tannins are extremely precise but feathery and pliable. An extremely low 37ppm of SO2 at this stage, in keeping with biodynamic principles and a desire to let the fruit speak.
Barrel Sample
JD94
Jeb Dunnuck
The second wine of Château Palmer, the 2019 Alter Ego De Palmer is rock-solid and reveals a dense purple hue as well as deep, rich, concentrated aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries, blackcurrants, tobacco, graphite, and chocolate. It might be the richest, most concentrated second wine out here, and truthfully, it tastes like a Grand Vin. Medium to full-bodied, layered, and textured, it has ripe tannins, a fleshy, mouth-filling texture, and a great finish. It’s beautifully done.
RP91
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Aromas of sweet cherries, raspberries, berry fruit liqueur, licorice and spices introduce the 2019 Alter Ego de Palmer, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping wine with lively acids, melting tannins and a lavish core of ripe, creamy fruit. It’s more immediate than the more muscular, powerful grand vin. Best After 2021
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.