2022 Château Palmer - 1er OHK

The 2022 Palmer is all class. Blackberry, mocha, spice, leather and espresso all meld together in a seamless, elegant Palmer that impresses with its sublime balance. All the elements are impeccably put together throughout. The only thing this is missing is perhaps a touch more energy. Even so, the 2022 is an exceptional Palmer. Yields were a minuscule 22 hectoliters per hectare. Small berries yielded a deep wine that needs time to fully emerge. As has been the case for a few years now, both Palmer and Alter Ego spend a year in small barrel and a second year in wood, a majority of that (65%) in cask.

- Antonio Galloni (01/2025)

Lots of creme de cassis with cedar, dried flowers, blackberries and dark cherries. Opulent and flamboyant. Full-bodied and layered, this grows with plush, velvety tannins that caress every inch of your palate. Extremely long and attractive in the finish. Well-designed in this ripe year. 51% merlot, 45% cabernet sauvignon, and 4% petit verdot. Best after 2029. (01/2025)

The Grand Vin 2022 Château Palmer is based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, from tiny yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare. It's a deep, unctuous, fabulously textured 2022 that does everything right. Ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, liquid violets, and freshly sharpened pencil notes define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, a remarkable floral character, and a great finish. It's a ripe, opulent, incredibly sexy Palmer that will benefit from a decade of bottle age and evolve gracefully over the following 30-40 years. (02/2025)

Composed of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Palmer is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of shaking and swirling to lure out a soft-spoken perfume of roses, lavender, star anise, and cloves, leading to a profound core of Morello cherries, fresh, juicy blackberries, and blackcurrant cordial. The full-bodied palate is stacked with layer upon layer of black, blue, and red fruits, supported by a skyscraper structure of very firm, very ripe, grainy tannins and superb tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This is a monumental achievement. pH 3.79. (05/2023)

Thomas Duroux and his team opted to wait to pick the 2022 Palmer in pursuit of full maturity, taking advantage of the resilience of the estate's terroirs, and they have followed up with a brilliantly executed élevage that has retained pure, vivid flavors despite the wine's ripeness and unctuosity. Bursting with aromas of blackberries, crème de cassis, mulberries and violets, it's full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a sumptuous core of rich, fleshy fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins, taking on more and more floral nuances as it sits in the glass. This is one of the Médoc's most sensual wines this year.

- William Kelley (03/2025)