Alter Ego De Palmer 2021 (750ML)

94-95 JS / 94 DE / 93 VM / 93 JA / 92 JD / 92 WA / 92 VM

Savory black and salted-olive character with oyster shells and black licorice. Fine, almost powdery yet firm tannins. Medium body. Excellent density and structure for the vintage. Second wine of Palmer. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 8% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. - James Suckling

Quite a rich, dark heady nose, full of blackcurrants, bramble leaf, raspberry and some dried herbs with floral touches too. Smooth and supple, you can feel the concentration in the mouth but the texture is so silky and fresh too. Bursting with energy and brightness - the fruit has a ripe touch to it - plummy and blackcurrant but the acidity is great giving a real lean and direct frame to the wine and driving it from start to finish. Polished and very enjoyable still with lots of flavour. A real cool element to the dark fruit - it’s not rich and chewy and exuberant and plush, it’s streamlined but full of juicy brightness and then a slick wet slate touch to the finish. Perfumed all the way through with cola, blueberry and liquorice touches as well. Serious and layered. A successful second wine to match the gorgeous grand vin. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2021 Alter Ego is a bright, savory wine driven by Cabernet Sauvignon from light, sandy soils. Intensely aromatic, the Alter Ego is a bit clenched today, but that should not be an issue in a few years' time. Dark red plum, mocha, new leather, spice and cedar build in the glass, lifted by bright acids and a kick of blood orange that adds vibrancy. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Deep plum in colour, with silky cassis and plum fruits on the attack. This is savoury, with sappy acidity that is mouthwatering rather than biting. This isn't exuberant and doesnt have huge flesh to the fruit, but it is a truly enjoyable and engaging wine that is one of the '2nds' of the vintage. More black fruit in this than the Palmer in many ways. Higher Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than usual after frost affected the Merlot, giving it more of a classical Margaux balance than you find in most vintages of Alter Ego, which tends to be generous. 3.76ph. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2021 Château Palmer Alter Ego is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was aged 12 months in barrel followed by 12 months in foudre. It's another smoking good second wine from this château that has a deep ruby/purple hue to go with perfumed red, blue, and black fruits as well as an incredibly floral character in its leafy herb and graphite aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, supple, elegant, and silky on the palate, it's an impressive Margaux to drink over the coming 15 years.-Jeb Dunnuck

Bursting with aromas of blackberries, mint, violets and pencil shavings, the 2021 Alter Ego de Palmer is medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with impressive density and ripeness for the vintage, its deep core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannin. Like the grand vin, it's a very strong effort this year. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

The 2021 Alter Ego, which contains slightly more Cabernet than usual and was bottled in late July, has manifested a little more composure on the nose since tasting it from barrel: black fruit, touches of melted tar and that background scent of shucked oyster shell. The palate is medium-bodied with a juicy opening, yet there is backbone and a mineral-driven finish behind this Alter Ego. Impressive in terms of persistence, don't be afraid to tuck this away in your cellar for three or four years. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media