Château Palmer is named after a British officer, Major General Palmer, who settled in Bordeaux in 1814. It is the top estate of the Margaux appellation after Château Margaux.

Palmer is classified as a 3ème Cru Classé and was established as a Super Second long before Léoville Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou and Pichon-Lalande, and in some years (1961, 1966, and 1983) it is as good as any wine in Bordeaux. Palmer’s relatively high Merlot content makes Palmer the closest in style of any leading Médoc properties to the great wines of Pomerol and St-Emilion.

Alter Ego is their second wine, made from younger vines.

Vineyard – It is located in the centre of the Margaux appellation, and its vineyards lie on a sparse gravel plateau.

Blend – Merlot 52%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Petit Verdot 13%

The Merlot, rich and exuberant, remind us of the best vintages of the first decade of the 2000s. The Cabernet Sauvignon are linear and precise and in line with a 2008. This unusual marriage harmoniously highlights the smoothness, elegance and refinement of Château Palmer wines.

James Suckling – 93 Points

13 Feb, 2017 – Aromas of spices and earth with mushrooms. Dark fruit. Full-bodied, dense and rich with earth and spices. A beauty. Soft and juicy. Savory yet exotic. From biodynamically grown grapes. First year. Drink or hold.

Robert Parker – 90-92 points

The Alter Ego de Palmer 2014 is a blend of 52% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot. It has an opulent, glossy bouquet with layers of small dark cherries and plenty of glycerin. The palate is more reserved than the bouquet suggests: saturated tannins, a little chewiness on the entry but suppler towards the finish. It feels very linear in keeping with the style of the vintage, the finish a little sweet than its peers with a dab of licorice on the aftertaste.

Wine Enthusiast – 93 points

This second wine of Château Palmer is dense and structured. With ripe swathes of black fruits and juicy Merlot showing strongly, it already displays the potential of the vintage. Generous and ripe, the wine has a fine level of perfumed tannin. Drink from 2023.