2021 Chateau Palmer - Margaux AC

Decanter.com – 96 pts – GH: *Perfumed chocolate cherries with bramble tones on the nose. This has a rich and round mouthfeel, clear structure on show but also with life and lift - a sweet, bright cherry element given definition by strict but fine tannins. You have a really beautiful, delicate opening, quite wide and airy then the depth arrives on the mid palate, with chalky tannins and red fruits coming into play before the spiced liquorice enters on the finish. The texture is striking, velvet-like with layers and a sublime verticality of freshness and minty aeration. It may be less glamourous and overtly plush and seductive than bigger previous vintages but I love the classicism on show - a focus, precision and sophistication. Superb winemaking from Thomas Duroux who successfully navigated the difficult vintage conditions in 2021.* - 04/2022

Falstaff Magazin – 94 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Würzig, mit Rosmarin und Koriander unterlegte dunkle Beerenfrucht, schwarze Kirschen, zart nach Lakritze, individuelles Bukett. Komplex, straff, frische Säurestruktur, mineralisch-salzig, dezente Fruchtsüße im Nachhall, engmaschig, wird von Flaschenreife profitieren, braucht noch seine Zeit. Ausgebaut ein Jahr im Barrique, ein Jahr im 3.000 Liter fassenden Stockinger Fass aus Österreich.* - 05/2022

Vinum Magazin – 17,5/20 pts: *Sehr zurückhaltend und (ungewohnt) ausbaugeprägt, dann Heidelbeeren; im Mund hingegen besonders fruchtig und saftig, mit grosser Rasse, spürbarer Säure, feinkörnigem Tannin, nicht auf Breite, sondern Länge ausgerichtet; interessanter Palmer mit dem Charakter des Jahres, der etwas reifen sollte.*

WeinWisser – 19/20pts – GL, TW: *56 % Merlot, 41 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 % Petit Verdot, 13,5 Vol.-%, 55 % Grand Vin. Dicht verwobenes Bouquet, reife Alpenheidelbeere, Lakritze und parfümierter Pfeifentabak. Im zweiten Ansatz Schokopralinen, Veilchenstrauß und Holundergelee. Am sublimen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, berauschender Extraktfülle, magischer Rasse, stützendem Tanningerüst, kraftvoll strukturiert und trotzdem elegant bleibend. Im konzentrierten Finale explodiert der Margaux förmlich, blaue Beeren, Sandelholz und fein sandige Adstringenz. Ein Gänsehaut-Margaux!* – 04/2022

JancisRobinson.com – 17+/20pts – JL: *56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot. 22 hl/ha. Cask sample. Less exuberance but Palmer identity intact, the old-vine Merlot to the fore. Dense and full with a generosity of fruit. Silky texture on attack, the tannins present but controlled. Slightly dry finish with a bit of chew. Should improve further with élevage.* - 04/2022

Vinous.com – (94-97) pts – AG: *The 2021 Palmer is one of the truly epic wines of the year. It's not the 2018, but it is in that vein, albeit at 13% in alcohol. There's tremendous richness and sheer extract here. Blackberry jam, chocolate, smoke, licorice, lavender and mocha notes possess remarkable primary intensity, more like a young must than a wine with a few months of age. Readers will find a Palmer that offers a compelling mix of opulence and energy.* - 04/2022

Vinous.com – (94-96) pts – NM: *The 2021 Palmer has a discrete bouquet that demands patience. This does not race out of the blocks, rather it unfurls with subtle graphite scents, blackberry, hints of cassis, plus some of the briny aromas that I noticed on the Alter Ego. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that frame the cedar and graphite infused black fruit. Quite strict for a Palmer, yet fresh with a cerebral, saline finish that is almost Pauillac-like in style despite the majority from old Merlot vines that are situated on some of its finest gravel terroirs. Very long, very suave on the finish. Superb.* - 04/2022

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 96 pts – JL: *Clearly, one of the wines of the vintage, this is superb, and quite an accomplishment for the vintage. The wine is rich, concentrated, firm, and elegant with layers of black and red fruits, spice, dried flowers, tobacco leaf, and cocoa. The palate is loaded with sweet, ripe, energetic berries, dark chocolate, plums, espresso and a hint of mint. The refined, lifted end notes keep on going. With some age, this could score even higher. The wine blends 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Yields were a paltry 22 hectoliters per hectare, so not much wine was produced. Drink from 2027-2060.* - 03/2024