Palmer 2011 Ex-Chateau (750ML)

96 RP / 95 JS / 95 WE / 94 JA / 94 DE / 17 JR

The opaque blue/purple-colored 2011 Palmer reveals a stunning bouquet of licorice, truffles, camphor, spring flowers, black raspberries and black currants. One of the superstars of the vintage, this brilliant 2011 possesses superb concentration and purity, medium to full body, and remarkable length of close to a minute. A tour de force in winemaking, the Palmer team merits accolades for achieving this level of quality in a more challenging vintage than either 2009 or 2010. The “wine of the vintage” in Margaux, tiny yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, a final blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a severe selection (only 55% of the production made it into Palmer) are the reasons for this success. - Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate

A wine with currants and mineral character on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied, with silky, polished tannins and a long finish. Very tight and refined now. Tannic. Palmer only made 20 hectoliters of wine a hectare. Like a tightly wound ball of cashmere thread. Try in 2020. - James Suckling

A serious and concentrated wine that is one of the stars of the vintage. With its tight tannins and a considerable sense of structure, it shows a dark and dense side. It's full in the mouth, black plum skins and intense acidity giving a lilt of freshness at the end. Drink from 2019. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

A vintage that I have tasted a few times this year, and an excellent one to be reminded of at the 10 year   window. Layers of blueberry, plum, cassis and rosemary, sculpted and heavy on the rose and violet floral   aromatics that speak of its appellation. As it opens, the smoky notes become more evident, and this is sensuous  but reflective of a cooler summer than the blockbuster 2009 and 2010 that preceded it. A hail storm at the  end of June meant this is a small yield at 21hl/ha - the lowest since 1961 (until 2018). Needs another two or three  years to really open up, but you might be lucky with a few hours in the glass - the most recent bottle of this  wine that I had (August 2021) was absolutely singing and ready to go. One of the very few Palmers with no Petit  Verdot in the blend, and a rare Merlot dominance, both of which make this an unusual bottle. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

A multi-faceted wine with no Petit Verdot in the blend given the concentration of the Merlot (55%), which is unusually dominant, and Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) from the smallest harvest before 2018, since 1961. This has a wonderfully evocative nose, perfumed with violets, plums, cherries and blueberries. On the palate there is bright acidity, still so juicy and alive with a cool blue fruit touch and menthol edges. Precise yet still structured - you're reminded that this is a serious wine, and at this 10 year mark, there is still such life and energy that it will go on and on. Delicious.  Drinking Window 2021 - 2040 - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Notably dark purple. Very fresh nose – rather more so than most. Racy and sinewy. Lots of class and graphite. Life! - Jancis Robinson