Chateau Palmer 2016

WEINWISSER: "47 % Merlot, 47 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 % Petit Verdot, (nur) 29 hl/ha, Lese vom 3. bis 18. Oktober, 65 % Grand Vin. Tiefes Purpur mit Granatschimmer am Rand. Konzentriertes, schwarzbeeriges Bouquet mit Brombeere und Cassis, dahinter Veilchen und Iris. Am Gaumen mit cremiger Textur und anschmiegsamen Tanninen, viel Cassisdrops und Heidelbeermark im Rückaroma, was für eine Eleganz und Finesse! Im katapultartigen Finale wiederum Heidelbeeren, Schattenmorellensaft und Lakritze. Finesse pur! Thomas bevorzugt diesen Stil und ich kann ihm da nur beipflichten, daher ist dieser Palmer im Klassikstil auch mein Favorit in der Appellation Margaux!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "The finest vintage I’ve ever tasted from this estate, surpassing the 2009 and 2010, the 2016 Château Palmer is a blend of 47% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 65% new French oak. This magical effort reveals a saturated purple color as well as a huge nose of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and spring flowers, and it develops beautifully with time in the glass. Full-bodied, deep, incredibly concentrated and powerful, it nevertheless just glides over the palate with flawless purity and balance, present, ripe tannins, and a finish that just won’t quit. This is Bordeaux at its most regal and classic. It will be drinkable with just 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for half a century."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Still showing the color of a barrel sample, the wine is full bodied, silky, polished, fresh, vibrant and pure. The wine tastes as if you ran into the vineyard and grabbed a handful of grapes off the vine, and you ate them just moments before they were crushed. The fruit has so much purity, energy and sensuality, it is impossible not to go back to the glass for another sniff, swirl and sip. Another interesting point is the addition of a gentle chalky minerality in the finish, adding a beautiful layer to the complexity. This is easily one of the great vintages of Chateau Palmer and will age for decades with no effort."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Powerful tannins and hugely rich fruit balance together in this superb wine. The velvet texture belies the power behind the concentrated, ripe black-fruit flavor, with vibrant acidity giving ample lift. The wine's structure will ensure aging for many years. Drink from 2024."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2016 Palmer is a blend of 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Opaque garnet-purple colored, it slowly glides out of the glass with compelling notes of blueberry compote, warm cassis and kirsch with emerging hints of violets, cigar box, black tea, sandalwood and Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, wonderfully rich, concentrated and packed with latent energy, the palate literally grows in the mouth, revealing layer upon layer of black, blue and red fruits and tons of floral sparks, framed by super ripe, incredibly fine-grained tannins and finishing with epic length. It’s a wine that makes you wanna drape yourself languidly over a chaise lounge, glass of Palmer in hand, sighing with deep satisfaction, “This is so wonderfully Palmer.”"

JAMES SUCKLING: "Such attractive fruit and alluring ripeness that it draws you in from the get-go. The discreet power here is delivered with a very astute touch. Assorted dark-berry aromas, as well as red plums, abound on the nose. The richness and depth in the mouth is stunning. The tannins are super polished and layered and they draw pristine dark fruit flavors deep into the finish in effortless mode. This is a star of the vintage. A blend of 47 per cent merlot, 47 per cent cabernet sauvignon and six per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024."

DECANTER: "As is always the case with Palmer, the richness, depth and silkiness is just so impressive. Sophisticated and well constructed, with a vertical lift-off, there's a creamy richness on the palate which supports pencil-lead, liquorice, damson, black cherry and slate. I love the smoky cocoa bean finish. Like the Alter Ego, it's a different style this year but no less impressive, displaying width, heft and incredible persistency. It's a wine that's going to age far into the future and is extremely easy to recommend. The highest ever proportion of grand vin was produced in 2016."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, feine Nuancen von kandierten Veilchen, Lakritze, schwarze Waldbeerfrucht, Brombeeren und frische Orangenzesten, facettenreiches Bukett. Komplex, engmaschig, angenehme Extraktsüße, kraftvolle Tannine, ohne jedes Makeup, die den Wein sehr weit tragen werden, feiner Nougat, sehr, sehr lange anhaftend, großes Reifepotenzial."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is a very solid rendering, with a core of steeped blackberry, black currant and fig fruit flavors that are juicy and well-defined. The back end picks up lots of graphite, tobacco, anise and violet notes while maintaining focus and energy. Shows latent depth as the fruit echoes steadily. Best from 2023 through 2038."