2024 Château Palmer 3. Cru Classé

Robert Parker - 93-95

The 2024 Palmer is shaping up beautifully and stands out as one of the wines of the vintage in the Médoc. Wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, plums, cigar wrapper and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with good depth at the core, sweet structuring tannins and a long, precise finish. Uniting charm with seriousness, this blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot is the quintessential Palmer. Yields after sorting worked out at 22 hectoliters per hectare.

James Suckling - 95-96

Excellent depth and good purity of fruit, showing lots of blackcurrants, dark minerals and violet extract. Full-bodied, this has plenty of fine-grained tannins and a hallmark Palmer tannin structure and framework. Quite tight and juicy at the end with a lasting finish and lots of volume. 13.2% alcohol.

Vinous - 94-97

The 2024 Palmer is wonderfully vivid and expressive. Strong Cabernet Sauvignon inflections make a strong first impression. Blue/purplish fruit, gravel, lavender, incense, licorice and dried herbs all jump from the glass. I imagine the 2024 will drink well on release, which is uncharacteristic for young Palmer. Readers will find a gorgeous wine with tons of character and pedigree to burn. Palmer remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Bordeaux.

Decanter - 95

Dark fragrance on the nose, dark chocolate, violets, slate, smoke and liquorice. Rich and round in the mouth, fleshy and vibrant - so much energy and life here. Bright, almost sweet but high toned too, sleek but so delicate. You get the flavour, the texture, lattice like, so delicately constructed but this isn't a light wine. Succulent, fresh, lifted and just so full of life. A touch of austerity on the finish - the tension coming through with the slate and graphite mintiness. There’s still a bite on the finish but that will be softened in time. I love this wine. 35% production. 3.7pH. 10% press. Ageing 50% new oak for the first year then foudre.