AJ | Saturated dense opaque black-red; a purple meniscus. Deep and dense, this is not at all one of the pretty, floral noses found amongst some of Palmer's Margaux peers. It does have some mixed ripeness, which is to say that there are vegetal notes here as well as fruit notes. Nothing green, though; all ripe ... we are exploring the whole plant, rather than just the flowers or the fruits. In fact the impression is of fresh but charged fruit, lavishly expressed. Lots to explore, though there will be more detail in a few years. As mouthfilling as the Alter Ego, though in a different way: here it is the energy of the fruit selections that sings out. The tannins are a little broader, but not much; in a way Alter Ego (at this stage) is a touch creamier and silkier, and more aromatically exotic (though part of me thinks that is because its wood is interacting a bit more energetically with the fruit just now). Everything is still pretty sewn up in the Grand Vin for the time being -- but there's lots there, in athletic style. I'm very happy with the plant tissue notes, which are wonderfully ripe; nothing leafy. . Drink Dates: 2030 - 2045. 95
SF | A dark imposing colour, almost jet black, and with the narrowest of rims, itself tapered to purple. A concentrated and complex nose, cerebral as only Palmer can be , with garrigue, smoke and roasted nuts encountered befor a beautifully textured veil of plus fruit , itself dominated by the darker charms of black cherry, crushed blackberry and cassis. The palate is marked by a supreme lightness of touch, an airein character which appears to be in the gift of Palmer and Palmer alone, this in spite of its low yields and fantastically complex matrix of organic and biodynamic viticulture. Great judgement ahs been brough to bear in this most difficult of vintages and the results are exceptional. Drink Dates: 2029 - 2045. 94