Winemaker Notes
Spontaneity. That sudden desire to indulge without delay, Château Palmer wished to gratify. Thus, while remaining true to its philosophy, another expression of its terroir came to be. Since the 1998 vintage, 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.
Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Gorgeous perfumes of plums, berries, light chocolate and walnut follow through to a medium body, fine tannins and crunchy finish. Bright and fresh. Precise tannins.
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Decanter
Devilishly charming on the nose, deep and seductive, expressive and richly scented. Juicy and succulent but with a richness in terms of texture and depth. Seductive, defined and refined with a chalky, grip to the tannins. Feels rich and charming at the same time with blackcurrant, black cherry, blueberry, pomegranate and a touch of balsamic with an undercurrent of crushed stones and liquorice. A lovely second wine with clear ageing potential.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Palmer's second wine, the 2020 Chateau Palmer Ego, is a beauty. Based on 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, this ripe, sexy Margaux offers up a dense purple hue, impressive notes of ripe black cherry and currant fruits, full-bodied richness, and a layered, sweetly fruited, textured, already impossible to resist style. Given its density, structure, and length, you would certainly be excused for mistaking this for the Grand Vin. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
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Wine Enthusiast
In this wine, the initial acidity gives way to richness and ripe tannins. With freshness and ripe acidity. the wine is balanced and has a great future.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Alter Ego de Palmer has turned out beautifully, bursting with aromas of violets and rose petals mingled with notions of sweet dark berries and baking chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, it's vibrant and perfumed, with a bright core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, expansive finish.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.