2025 Alter Ego de Palmer
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Tasting notes
The 2025 Alter Ego de Palmer 2025 is a fragrant and beautifully expressive wine, offering an exuberant superfruit character from the very first nose. Produced from gravel soils where the berries ripen earlier than those destined for Palmer itself, the wine was harvested sooner and captures a vivid sense of freshness and purity. Despite production being reduced by nearly 50%, the concentration here is remarkable, delivered with elegance rather than weight. Medium- to full-bodied at 13% ABV and aged in 30% new oak, it combines velvety tannins with a fine, polished mid-palate where vibrant cherry notes burst through with energy and charm. The fruit profile is intensely aromatic and generous, yet perfectly balanced by great acidity that gives lift and precision throughout. Long, powerful and harmonious on the finish, this is an exceptionally refined and approachable Alter Ego with real depth and sophistication.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2025 Alter Ego, aged in 20% new oak for eight months then transferred into foudres, has a quite effervescent, sorbet-fresh bouquet with perfumed black cherry and cassis fruit, becoming more floral with touches of pressed violet mixed with blood orange. Real intensity. The palate is framed by supple and fluid tannins, but there is certainly backbone to this Alter Ego, with gentle but insistent grip towards the finish. It coheres beautifully in the glass, with ample length and is very refined. Lovely.
Rocking notes of red, blue, and black fruits, roasted herbs, graphite, and chocolate define the 2025 Alter Ego, a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot that's being raised in 20% new barriques and foudres. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, round, and supple, with ripe, chalky tannins. It checks in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.65.
The unique blend of flowers, and herbs starts things off before you get to the currants and hint of tobacco leaves. The medium-bodied palate combines silk, racy-edged tannins, with crisp red fruits, so you find a lot of lift in the mid-palate, and mildly spicy, currant packed finish. The wine is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. 13% ABV.
About the producer
Ch. Palmer is one of the finest producers in Bordeaux. The Margaux Third Growth is known for its significant plantings of old-vine Merlot, typically representing a large portion of the blend and responsible for the generous and supple style Ch. Palmer is known for.