Alter Ego, Margaux 2022

The minerality and intensity to this wine is very impressive with blackberry and blue berry aromas and flavors. Salt and pepper. It’s full and linear with a brightness and freshness. Compacted center palate.

The 2022 Alter Ego is bright, punchy and focused. Floral notes meld into a core of red/purplish fruit, spice, mint and orange peel. Medium in body and gracious, with sublime balance, Alter Ego is superb. In fact, the 2022 is one of the most refined editions I have tasted. It is not a very typical wine for Bordeaux, but it is among the classiest and most distinctive, without a doubt.

Damson plum colour, intense, concentrated and spicy, with the lightness of touch coming in through the floral aromatics, and a lift of white pepper and sage spices. Big punch of fig and blackberry fruit, and a tight umi plum edge that provides contrast. Deft and skilful, great quality. Harvest September 7 to October 5, yield 23hl/h. Thomas Duroux director. First year in barrels and then into larger oak casks for the rest of ageing.

I always love the second wine from this estate, and their 2022 Alter Ego De Palmer should be terrific. Based on 61% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 25% new oak, it's a deeply hued Margaux with lots of ripe red and blue fruits, some classic chalky minerality, and floral notes. It shows the vintage's powerful, concentrated style and is full-bodied, with terrific balance.

The 2022 Alter Ego is quite high-toned on the nose, with lavish black plum and blueberry scents, not quite as sophisticated as the '22 Giscours, although it improves significantly in the glass, gaining delineation with each swirl. The palate is relatively understated on the entry, sapid black fruit commingling with liquorice and a dash of white pepper. It coheres nicely towards the finish. A keeper. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

The 2022 Alter Ego de Palmer is expressive, even exuberant, bursting with a sweet bouquet of ripe blackberries, minty plums and violets. Full-bodied, layered and velvety, it's suave and unctuous, with a pure, seamless profile.

Gorgeous fragrance, so expressive and open, scented with red cherries, strawberries and floral notes, violets, irises and roses. Powerful on the palate, clearly ripe black berry fruit but encased in lacy tannins with such appealing juiciness. Playful and so enjoyable, clean, pure, energetic with lively acidity, chalky edges and spicing throughout. Classy and well constructed with refinement. Really quite moreish even now but still delivering power and the Margaux charm. 3.73pH. 15% press wine. Harvest took one month from 7 September to 5 October. 70% grand vin, 30% Alter Ego.

The 2022 Alter Ego is a blend of 51% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it swans out with showy notions of juicy blueberries, black raspberries, and iris bulb, followed by suggestions of dark chocolate, cardamom, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate has beautifully ripe, plush tannins and a lively backbone to support the generous, perfumed black and blue fruits, finishing long and perfumed. pH 3.73.