2023 Alter Ego de Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.

Ripe and full with an explosion of fruit. Sweet, round and gourmand on the palate. Touch of warmth but balanced by the freshness of the tannins. Distinctive in style. 

Drink 2028 - 2038

Opaque purple-black in color, the 2023 Alter Ego strides confidently out of the glass with bold notions of crunchy black plums and redcurrant jelly plus suggestions of bay leaves, graphite, and mossy tree bark. The medium-bodied palate is bright and shiny, with vibrant black and red berry flavors and a racy backbone textured by grainy tannins, finishing with a cheeky herbal lift. The blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot.

Drink 2028 - 2042

Composing one-third of the production, the 2023 Alter Ego De Palmer is based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. It's an inky hued second wine that has a round, medium to full-bodied, ripe, downright sexy profile as well as ample red and blue fruits, some violet and graphite notes, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I'd be thrilled to drink this gorgeous 2023 any time over the coming 15-20 years. While I don't think 2023 is the best vintage for the second wines, this is brilliant.

The 2023 Alter Ego represents one-third of the crop, coming exclusively from gravel soil and picked at 32hL/ha. It displays a very deep purple hue. The bouquet is notably opulent, with the Merlot very expressive and shaping the aromatics at the moment. Hints of cassis and violets lurk beneath, perhaps needing a little more delineation. The palate is actually cut from a slightly different cloth, more restrained and a touch spicier than expected. Graphite and tobacco emerge toward the finish, as if the reins have been passed over to the Cabernet component. This will be fascinating to revisit in bottle—I would just like to see more aromatic composure.

Drink 2028 - 2048

Wafting from the glass with pure aromas of cherries, berries, plums and potpourri, the 2023 Alter Ego de Palmer is medium to full-bodied, bright and vibrant, with a vigorous core of fruit framed by supple tannins. It's a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

The 2023 Alter Ego is plump, juicy and super-expressive. Soft, silky tannins enshroud a core of plum, red cherry, spice, menthol and mocha. All the elements are so nicely balanced. A burst of red-toned fruit and spice lingers on a finish lifted by bright acids. This is such a sensual Alter Ego.

Drink 2028 - 2043

Gorgeous nose, so full, voluptuous, intensely aromatic, violets, blackcurrants, damsons, cherries, plums, tobacco and liquorice and cedar spice. Deep pink purple rim too. Nice weight straight away but with tension - you get clearly ripe fruit with such high acidity. Balanced, relatively lean but still juicy, certainly full and intense but streamlined ending on a real graphite and wet stone note. Slightly more lean and austere than some but not harsh, just not as fleshy as normal. It’s got body and style, nice movement and energy, a hint of fleshiness and subtle chew to the tannins. I like this, feels a real mix of ripe and cool with freshness on the finish. 3.75pH. 14% press.

Drink 2027 - 2039

Vivid ruby plum colour, great depth of flavour, balancing spiced plum, fennel, rosemary and anis with juicy blackberry and damson fruit, all delivered with a caress of floral aromatics and well-paced momentum. The August and early September heat waves meant lost yield but higher concentration, and this is a structured Alter Ego that stretches out through the palate, with a kick on the finish. September 11 harvest through to October 5, 25% new oak for ageing.

Drink 2028 - 2038

This is dense and velvety with a creamy texture. Blackberry, blueberry and stone aromas and flavors. Layered. Very primary and focused. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot and 4% petit verdot.