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Alter Ego de Palmer 2015

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Palmer

Label

Tasting Notes

This is sensational, characterized by such purity and beauty and with aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate, walnuts, cedar and lavender. Full-bodied, tight and focused — in part thanks to sensational tannin tension that is intense yet polished. Needs five to six years of bottle age to come together. Great second wine of Palmer.

96
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2018

Composed of 52% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Alter Ego de Palmer has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and gorgeous nose of ripe plums, cassis and crushed cherries with touches of incense, lavender and chocolate box. Medium-bodied, very finely crafted and vivacious in the mouth, it finishes with great elegance and finesse. 2020 - 2034

91
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim Fe), February 2018

The 2015 Alter Ego de Palmer is a sensational wine in its own right. Loaded with notes of black cherries, cassis, scorched earth and hints of toasty oak all emerge from this full-bodied, ripe, yet beautifully balanced Margaux. With ripe tannin, solid mid-palate depth and ample sweet fruit, it shows the charm of the vintage and is already hard to resist, yet should keep for 10-15 years. 2018 - 2033

93
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017

Tasted blind. Mid to dark crimson. Floral, aromatic, lifted. Sweet start. Pretty fine and appealing. Alter Ego? Satisfying. Very fresh.
Drink 2022-2030

17
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2019

Sweet ripe fruit the nose has depth the palate is fleshy rich with dark chocolate and ripe cassis the tannins are fine the mid palate supple. An underlying freshness balances lightens the back palate the finish has a hint of vanilla precision length and elegance.

91/93
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2016

Production was split equally between the Grand Vin and this second wine at Château Palmer in 2015. This is not the most profound Alter Ego I’ve tasted, but it’s soft, sweet, supple and pleasant with silky tannins and bramble and raspberry fruit. Drink: 2020-25

91
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2016

Very dry weather until the end of July was a worry but the showers were welcome and then September was fine at
Palmer. July was the key for the phenolics and August was the key to freshness. 2015 Alter Ego is a very good vintage, like
2005, 2009 and 2010, but the power and clarity axis is fascinating. This is a delicate wine with a very strong character and
rare beauty. With a much more delicate air, albeit with masses of nerve and character, than Pavillon, winemaker Thomas
Duroux describes it as his very own Audrey Hepburn.

17.5+
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2016
Read more tasting notes...

The 2015 Alter Ego de Palmer is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 52% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. It has a very open, ravishing, quite precocious bouquet with ripe black cherries, fresh dates and crème de cassis that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is more refined, reins it all back in thanks to quite tensile tannin, a crisp line of acidity, moderate depth in the mouth and a gentle grip. There is a touch of tarriness and cracked black pepper towards the finish with very good length. Give this 5-7 years in bottle.

90/92
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (224), April 2016

Very solid and powerful with dried mushroom and wet earth aromas and flavors. Complex. Full and chewy yet so polished and long. Spicy, meat and gorgeous. Most serious Alter Ego ever. More inner Ego now!. 52% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot 6%.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2016

Very rich on the nose. Very sweet and with sufficient freshness. Very very round. Just on the right side of soupy - but you really have to drink this pretty young, I think.
Drink 2020-2027

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2016
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.