Alter Ego de Palmer 2024

With 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot plus Petit Verdot, this cuvée is noticeably more Cabernet-driven than usual; dark cherry fruit, cassis, subtle smoky note; surprisingly powerful on the palate, mouth-filling, round, a piquant acidity lends the wine freshness, cool in expression, long-lasting finish, red-fruited aftertaste.

Rose petals and raspberries, floral and aromatic, evocative and sensual. Something a tiny bit sweet and concentrated about the nose. Juicy and soft straight away, tannins are powdery, supporting the fruit and not overwhelming it. It’s clean and focused, relatively tight and tense, all in one line, but there’s a lovely expression of wild fruit flavors and aromas that continues. Salty licorice, slate and tobacco. Well framed. No dip in the mid-palate, really finessed and a light touch. Crunchy and crisp, not super plush, but there are layers. With mint and graphite. Very drinkable. So much energy. 55% production. 12% press. Aging 20% new oak for the first year, then foudre 3,000L casks. pH 3.7.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Fresh and floral with some mid-palate fruit and tension. Structured, the tannins are just a touch grainy on the finish. (JL)

Flowers, sage, currants, and spice, with a background note of espresso effortlessly create the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and sweet, with a mélange of black cherries, black raspberries and currants that create the lighter, silky styled profile that carries through from start to finish. The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. 13% ABV, 3.7 pH. Drink from 2028-2042. 91-93 Pts

The nose is elegant, precise, deep, with hints of black ink/India ink and spices. It reveals notes of Boysenberry, lily/iris and, more lightly, camphor, combined with touches of concentrated red berries, hints of plum blossom, discreet notes of crushed strawberry, a hint of herbal infusion and a subtle velvety touch. The palate is beautifully crafted, supple, elegant, airy, precise, deep, juicy and clean, offering straightness and accuracy. A certain sweetness, fleshiness and salinity at mid-palate. The wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackcurrant, juicy/fresh red cherry and, more lightly, cornflower, combined with touches of star anise, camphor, hints of lilac and nutmeg, as well as toasted nuances, fine balsamic notes and a hint of chocolate. The tannins are velvety, saline and finely sappy. Good length and persistence.