-
98
/ 100
Antonio Galloni -
97
/ 100
Jane Anson -
97
/ 100
Neil Martin -
98
/ 100
James Suckling -
98
/ 100
Decanter
Red
Classification
Cabernet Blend
Variety
2020
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Bordeaux, Margaux
Region
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
98 / 100"(Vinous) The 2020 Palmer is exceptional. Soft, seamless and ample, the Grand Vin caresses the palate with stunning depth and intensity. Super-ripe black cherry, licorice, cloves, menthol and chocolate meld together in the glass. As always, Palmer is made from blocks on gravelly/clay soils (as opposed to the more gravelly/sandy soils for Alter Ego) which gives the wines the breadth and creaminess to match its exotic personality. There is a restrained exuberance here that is so appealing."
- Antonio Galloni
97 / 100
"(Decanter) Vivid colours, and the aromatics grab hold straight away. This is intense and concentrated, elegant, balanced and classical, all about the texture which is velvety and seductive with softly-grained tannins. Moves oh so slowly through the palate with dozens of layers to get hold of. The overall feel is precise, slow and seductive, with appellation and estate signature at every turn. Sappy, hawthorn freshness, rosemary, redcurrant, tobacco, cigar box and dark chocolate shavings on the finish. 3.77pH, 78IPT, 55% of overall production, with 13% press wine."
- Jane Anson
97 / 100
"(Vinous) The 2020 Palmer was bottled in July with the lowest SO2 ever. It has an almost identical bouquet to the one I encountered from barrel last year, with black cherries and iodine, lovely floral scents, quintessentially Palmer from every angle. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, plush yet structured with an underlying sapidity that comes through towards the finish. This just doesn't put a foot out of place - fabulous."
- Neil Martin
98 / 100
"Great aromas of blackcurrants, black truffles, blueberries, lead pencil and hints of cedar. Full-bodied and powerful with fantastic tannin backbone giving it great length and power. Muscular. Toned. Flexing. This needs time. Best after 2028."
- James Suckling
98 / 100
"An irresistible wine from Palmer in 2020, sumptuous and voluptuous, open and appealing yet with all the elements so very carefully set in their place. Rich and evocative on the nose, dark and brooding with softly perfumed violet and rose aromas but it’s the texture that captivates on the palate with soft and seductive velvety tannins that immediately expand in the mouth giving power but also refinement. Mouthwatering and juicy but rich at the same time, so approachable you could drink this right now and just marvel in its nuance, structure and ease - and the oak integration is seamless. I love the liquorice bite and chalky sensation alongside vibrant black fruit though a sense of heat and menthol, liquorice freshness at the finish reminds you this is a serious wine that is built to last. This really carries the Margaux beauty and charm. A long life ahead but once opened this will disappear out of the bottle instantaneously. Drink 2028 - 2059."
- Decanter
Tasting Notes
Regarded a “Super Second� (but technically a 3me growth), Palmer is capable of producing wines that equal or even outstrip the quality of its famous Premier cru neighbour, Ch. Margaux.
Named for the wealthy English military man who bought the estate in the early 19th century, Palmer is now majority-owned by the Mahler Besse and Sichel families - famous Bordeaux negociants.
Many of the best plots on the property were purchased after the Classification of 1855, explaining in part why Palmer did not warrant higher standing at that time. Certainly today there is no question that the wine is among Bordeaux’s best.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity