Composed of 53% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Alter Ego de Palmer is deep garnet-purple in color and springs from the glass with vivacious black raspberries, black cherries and crushed blackcurrants notes plus hints of Sichuan pepper, menthol, pencil lead and cardamom. Medium-bodied, the palate is charged with energy, featuring expressive, bright black fruits and firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and lively. 2020 - 2038
The 2017 Alter Ego was bottled a little later than others at the end of August 2019. Deep garnet in colour, it has a refined bouquet with blackberry, cedar, crushed violets, hints of orange pith and incense, all very well defined but understated. The palate is medium-bodied with a lightly spiced entry. Fine tannins, a little compact being so close to bottling, yet it displays the tension and focus that I observed out of barrel with an attractive marine influence on the aftertaste. 2021 - 2036
Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Extremely fragrant, all violet, cherry blossom and even a hint of cherry sorbet. Very juicy, full of red fruit. Fine but persistent tannins. Succulent yet chalky. Good balance and potential, if a little luscious. Will be ready soon.
Drink 2023 – 2035
This is a delicious and savory wine with beautiful, ripe and creamy tannins, as well as chocolate and plum character. Full body. The flavors turn to wet earth and mushrooms with some leather. A blend of 53% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 6% petit verdot. Lovely finish. Try after 2021.
The blends for the grand vin and second wine are similar this year. This is carefully presented, accomplished and precise, with fresh mint and peony notes on the nose followed by bright and vibrant black fruit flavours. It's extremely pretty, with some lovely floral notes. The yield was 38hl/ha as they lost a few plots to frost over to the west of the appellation. 13.5% press wine. 45% of overall production, representing 9,000 cases. IPT 66.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2038
Inky black colour. Delicate and super-pure dark fruit, Dark and savoury on the palate, rich and deep in savoury black fruit. Very smooth but with attractive density, smooth and dark and very long. Elegant and flowing across the palate.
Drink 2025-2035
The blend this year is very similar to the Grand Vin with 53% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Medium-deep ruby with an open, floral, and bright nose of blackcurrant and fresh vanilla pod. The palate is silky and refined, with soft and polished tannins framing floral cherry blossom and fresh blackcurrant. Bright, refined and juicy, this has a succulent finish with an approachability that should make the wine enjoyable in its youth.
The nose is fragrant woodland violets the palate has fresh fruits at the start. Sweet ripe fruit in the middle black cherry is backed by cassis the fruit supported by fine tannins rich at the back with an underlying freshness on the finish. Drink 2024-2037.
Fifteen hectares were damaged with frost, all on the Alter Ego plots. A refined vintage, from Thomas Duroux’s point of view, this is also a precocious wine with rather lovely succulence on the mid-palate. The colour is very dense and yet the palate is lifted and clean. There is no early addition of SO2 here and he only uses native yeasts as this helps to keep the colour bold and bright. There is little obvious tannin here because the balance of the skin and oak is sublime. Similar in shape to the 2008 and really enticing and glossy without being showy.
The 2017 Alter Ego is matured in 25% new oak. It has quite a rich, dark chocolate-tinged bouquet that is driven by the Merlot, almost Right Bank in style. It just lacks the same detail and clarity as the Grand Vin. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannin, nicely balanced, certainly one of the more approachable Alter Ego in recent years with a touch of spice and clove towards the finish. Drink 2021-2035.
This shows excellent body and depth of fruit. Rich and very deep. Layered and flavorful. Solid and chewy. Serious second wine.
A blend of 53% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Alter Ego de Palmer is very deep purple-black in color and gives up exuberant crushed red currants, red cherries, black plums and mulberries with touches of forest floor, garrigue and lavender plus a waft of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with a good core of plummy fruit and very soft, plush tannins, sparked by just enough freshness, finishing fruity.
