Chateau Palmer 2021

DECANTER: "A showstopper of a wine that offers a fragranced nose of purple flowers, blackcurrant, cola and liquorice. Smooth and silky, this has a gorgeous weight and texture, full and filling, a density of chalky, almost chewy tannins but bright, juicy acidity. Excellent construction, delicately layered but builds to an impressive whole that has such allure on the palate. A joyous wine brilliantly delivered."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This juicy wine has aromatic black fruits that give way to cinammon spices and intense acidity along with dark, plush blackberry fruits. Wait to drink this impressive wine until 2028. Biodynamic."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Clearly, one of the wines of the vintage, this is superb, and quite an accomplishment for the vintage. The wine is rich, concentrated, firm, and elegant with layers of black and red fruits, spice, dried flowers, tobacco leaf, and cocoa. The palate is loaded with sweet, ripe, energetic berries, dark chocolate, plums, espresso and a hint of mint. The refined, lifted end notes keep on going. With some age, this could score even higher. The wine blends 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Yields were a paltry 22 hectoliters per hectare, so not much wine was produced. Drink from 2027-2060."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Palmer has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with expressive aromas of blackberries, cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of iris, dark chocolate and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of succulent fruit framed by rich, sweet tannins, it concludes with a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This wine is very fragrant, with blackberries, blueberries, black olives, bark and forest floor as well as some minerals and stone. Medium-bodied with racy and firm tannins that build to a fresh and steely finish. Needs three to five years to soften. You can almost taste the skins. Reminiscent of the 1995 Palmer but with more precision. 56% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 3% petit verdot. Best after 2028."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2021 Château Palmer is 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. It's similarly ruby/plum-hued yet is more tight and focused, with beautiful blue fruits, violets, graphite, and spicy oak aromas and flavors. As with all the top 2021s, it has an incredible purity, polished, and refinement, with silky tannins, a flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It’s one of the few 2021s that demands 4-6 years of bottle age and will have upwards of two decades of prime drinking."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Nuancen von Edelholz und Lakritze, reife Kirschen, zart nach Nelken und Zimt, kandierte Orangenzesten. Mittlerer Körper, engmaschig, rote Kirschen, lebendige Säurestruktur, rotbeerig im Nachhall, ein eleganter, animierender Speisenbegleiter, verfügt über Reifepotenzial, lässt allerdings das gewohnte Volumen vermissen."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2021 Palmer is deep purple-black in color. Notes of Morello cherries, fresh blackberries, and boysenberries pop from the glass, followed by suggestions of cinnamon stick, Sichuan pepper, aniseed, and crushed rocks, with a hint of roses. The light to medium-bodied palate has a racy backbone and rounded tannins framing the exuberant black fruits, finishing with a burst of energy."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Less exuberance but Palmer identity intact, the old-vine Merlot to the fore. Dense and full with a generosity of fruit. Silky texture on attack, the tannins present but controlled. Slightly dry finish with a bit of chew. Should improve further with élevage."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Offers an almost juicy edge, making this difficult vintage stand out from the pack while giving its core of black cherry and black currant some energy. Subtle alder, tobacco and warm earth accents underscore the finish. Shows a late mineral twang, with just a wisp of the vintage's austerity. Serious kudos here. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2035. 7,500 cases made."