Palmer Margaux 2019

98 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): “The 2019 Palmer is a truly special wine, but it is also going to need a number of years to be at its finest. Dense and plush, with explosive energy, the 2019 possesses tremendous richness in its dark fruit. As always, the blend features a high percentage of Merlot (43%) which works so well in complementing the savoriness of the Cabernet. Thomas Duroux and his team fashioned another absolutely compelling Palmer in 2019. (Feb 2022)”

97 points Jane Anson: “(53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot). Silky, rich and nuanced black cherry and bilberry fruit, touches of cocoa bean, liquroice, sour plum and fennel, all utterly enveloping. It unrolls slowly, building momentum with carefully placed tannins, delicate yet with a punch of power and concentration underneath. Large sized oak casks for ageing introduced alongside barrels, 60% new oak. Harvest September 19 to October 11. Drink: 2029-2048. (12/7/21)”

97 points Jeb Dunnuck: “The 2019 Château Palmer is even richer, with a stacked, full-bodied, concentrated profile as well as beautiful notes of ripe black cherries, blackcurrants, lead pencil, tobacco leaf, and chocolate. I love its mid-palate, it has building, ripe, yet substantial tannins, tons of fat and glycerin, and a gorgeous finish. I don’t think it will ultimately match the 2009, 2016, or 2018, but it’s nevertheless a brilliant wine as well as one of the stars of the show from Margaux. It will benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age (it already offers pleasure) and have 30-40 years of overall longevity. Drink: 2022-2062. (4/11/22)”

97 points Neal Martin (Vinous): “The 2019 Palmer was always going to be stylistically a completely different kettle of fish than the preceding vintage. It was bottled in early August 2021. As winemaker Thomas Duroux foretold, it’s a much more classically styled Palmer, offering blackberry, briary and pressed iris petals scents rather than violet, along with a distinct marine influence; a touch of sea spray comes through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, tightly knit on the entry, and very fresh and saline, with just a very slight bitter edginess toward the almost Côte de Nuits–like finish (especially returning to my glass after 20 minutes). Quintessential Palmer, this will require 4–6 years in bottle. (Feb 2022)”

97 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): “A serious and darkly fruited wine with notes of milk chocolate, violets and black cherries supported by fine-grained and velvety tannins that really coat the mouth, carefully constructed with acidity underneath that gives brightness and lift. The emphasis here is really the concentration and density of flavours with layers of black chocolate, black cherries, cocoa powder and cooling minerality but each with purity and definition… a great Palmer. 2029-2050. (Jan 2022)”

97 points Rod Smith, MW (TimAtkin.com): “(51 M 40 CS 9 PV 13.6%). The allure of Palmer jumps from the glass after a couple of swirls. At once fruity and savoury, oaky and smoky, with the hint of wildness that this property always manages to capture so brilliantly. Smoke and a hint of truffle and wet earth complement the vast expanse of cassis and blueberry fruit. Smells rich without smelling overdone. A hint of savoury on top of a blanket of fruit. Wonderful depth and the tannins are already beginning to become silky and integrated. Fresh acidity and depth. While this has the structure to age for decades as usual, it will be an approachable Palmer in relative youth – from a decade onwards. Sumptuous and beguiling. Wonderful wine. (2022)”

96+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): “A true classic… unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and sweet blackberry fruit mingled with licorice, mint, cigar wrapper and loamy soil. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s a deep, multidimensional wine built around a chassis of rich, powdery tannins and succulent balancing acids… 2029-2065. (Apr 2022)”