Chateau Palmer 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 2023

There's not much to say about the 2023 Palmer. It was exceptionally beautiful en primeur, and it is all that today. Black cherry, plum, gravel, incense, truffle, licorice and chocolate soar from the glass. Texturally gorgeous and riveting, Palmer delivers on all fronts in 2023. As always, Palmer is one of the most distinctive wines in Bordeaux. It's next to impossible to say we are on the Left Bank.

Sensational aromatics of ripe black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, roasted herbs, graphite, and violets emerge from the 2023 Château Palmer, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that spent 12 months in 60% new French oak followed by 12 months in foudre. It's deep, rich, and full-bodied on the palate, with flawless balance, ripe, polished tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It brings another level of brilliance, elegance, and finesse yet is deep, rich, and incredibly pure. It's one of the wines of the vintage and is distinctly Palmer! Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 30 years or more. There are roughly 11,500 cases produced. Drink 2030-2060.

Bottled in August 2025, after a year in barrique followed by a second year of maturation in foudre, the 2023 Palmer has turned out beautifully. Bursting from the glass with aromas of plums and blackberries mingled with notions of licorice, iris and exotic spices, it's medium- to full-bodied, with a broad, unctuous attack segueing into an ample, layered, multidimensional mid-palate girdled by sweet, powdery tannins. Sensual and demonstrative but unerringly precise, it's a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot that was picked between September 11 and October 5.

What a Palmer in 2023! Crazy aromatics, full and bright, packed with intense scents of pink and purple flowers, damson fruit - clearly ripe no doubt, but no overt heat with some graphite and liquorice on the nose too and the dried herb Cabernet notes. Rich, layered and voluptuous, one you could use the word opulent to describe, full of flavour and really fruit forward. Not as overtly juicy as some, more harmonious and balanced, the tannins are perfectly integrated with the fruit and acidity with the added plushness that the Merlot gives to the blend. Powered and structured, but less serious than some with great energy, generosity and charm on show in terms of texture but it’s focussed too with a long length. Something very captivating about this. Lots of cool classicism on the finish with a salty, mineral, oyster shell undercurrent. 55% new oak for the first year in barrel then one year in 30hl foudre. 3.75pH. 13% press. 32hl/ha yield.

The vivid density and structure to this is really captivating, with pure blackcurrant character. Full-bodied with very silky, refined and ultra-fine tannins and an exquisite finish. Caresses every inch of the palate. It's seems like it will be large and overpowering, but it's actually ethereal and cloud-like. The tannin quality is so refined and, in a way, weightless. 50% cabernet sauvignon, 46% merlot and 4% petit verdot.

More reserved and understated than the Alter Ego on the first nose, with touch of gumoke reduction, but it doesn't take long to understand that this Palmer is full of coiled energy and lift. A ton of graphite, crushed rocks, crushed roses and peonies come in waves of aromatics through the palate, along with clearly defined and sculpted blue and red fruits. There is spice too, and a sense of momentum. 32hl/h yield, 55% new oak for ageing during the first year; with the wine then moving in moves into 3000l oak casks for the second year.

The 2023 Palmer is opaque purple-black in color. A little broody and subdued to start, notes of tar, damp soil, and crushed rocks soon give way to a core of fresh blackcurrants, wild blueberries, and Morello cherries with a touch of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate delivers bright, shimmery black and red berry flavors with a satiny texture and racy backbone, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot.

The 2023 Palmer was bottled in July 2026, the same time as Alter Ego. As you might expect, this is a little more control and precision on the nose by comparison, hints of peony and violet pinpointing its Margaux origin. Superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins. Just a bit more backbone at the moment compared to its First Growth neighbor tasted directly before, a little more graphite comes through toward the finish. This Palmer coats the mouth and seems to be one of the most mineral-driven within the Margaux appellation. Excellent.