2015 Château Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux

Tasted blind. Dark, blackish crimson. Too dense to have much aroma? Sweet start and very dramatic. Luscious and attention-grabbing. Alcohol makes its presence felt but overall in balance and pretty gorgeous.

I am breathless with the dark-berry, lavender and burnt-orange aromas. Some salt. Just so formidable and deep. Stunningly sexy on the palate with a density and power, yet it leaves things so clean and bright. You want to drink it and enjoy it now, but it has the structure to last forever. Drink in 2022.

Luscious without shouting, expanding slowly, surely and confidently through the palate, silky tannins, satin and pumice stone, great appellation signature with its floral pillow and savoury spiced raspberry and crushed rocks. 60% new oak. Thomas Duroux director. Harvest September 22 to October 7. At this point the estate was fully in conversion, working 100% organically and biodynamically.

Bottled relatively late in mid-September 2017, the 2015 Palmer is a blend of 44% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon with a small portion of Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it offers vibrant red currants, black cherries, wild blueberries, earth and mineral characteristics to begin, with slowly unfurling floral notes of violets and dried roses plus compelling baker’s chocolate and fragrant earth layers. Medium to full-bodied, generously fruited and possessing firm yet very, very fine-grained, mind-blowingly ripe tannins, the multifaceted palate features something of a skip in its step in terms of freshness, while it goes beguilingly earthy on the finish with some mineral hints. Very classy, elegant and sophisticated, this vintage is downright regal in its juxtaposition between poise and audaciousness. Think 2005 Palmer with a tick more fruit intensity, perfume and passion.

One of the gems in Margaux is unquestionably the 2015 Palmer. Possessing more elegance and purity, as well as concentration, than the Alter Ego, it offers up a gorgeous bouquet of crème de cassis, caramelized cherries, charcoal, and graphite, with just a hint of spring flowers in the background. A final blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 70% new oak, this full-bodied, ripe, incredibly polished 2015 is already hard to resist given its elegance and purity, yet should be at its best from 2023-2043. If you have more than one bottle, it's sensational today as well.

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2015 Palmer explodes with flamboyant notes of kirsch, blackcurrant pastilles, and blueberry compote with exotic wafts of Chinese five spice, rose oil, sandalwood, and wood smoke. Full-bodied, the palate is a veritable firework display of opulence, delivering plush, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and decadence. The blend is 44% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot.

Six months from the last time I tasted this wine and it is a little more closed than it was, as the 2015s begin to retreat inwards for a few years. Still no mistaking the quality of this vintage, and it remains a brilliant Palmer, that is equal to the greatest years. Still extremely young, with rich, deep textured fruits, tons of blueberry and raspberry fruits, all expressed with clarity and purity. Grilled cedar, liquorice and crushed stone minerality. Harvest September 22 to October 7. At this point the estate was fully in conversion for certification, working 100% organically and biodynamically.