2011 Bordeaux – Margaux and Palmer

by Charles Lea

Two contenders for wine of the vintage out this afternoon, Château Margaux, which Robert Parker rates 94-96, and Château Palmer, which is also exceptional. It’s worth reading the notes to see who scores which higher.

Robert Parker says of Margaux: ‘It rivals what they achieved in both 2010 and 2009, which is virtually impossible to contemplate given the quality of those two vintages’.

Julia Harding MW (www.JancisRobinson.com) describes Palmer as ‘Cool and utterly long and clear. Tannins are very hard to describe because there is a dry finesse but also a creamy roundness that comes later in the mouth. No spicy exoticism in this vintage, plenty of classicism. 2021-2035   18.5’.

Also available are the second wines, again both serious wines in their own right, Pavillon Rouge (£945) and Alter Ego (£430) and the extraordinary Pavillon Blanc (£515 per 6), one of the great dry whites of this vintage.

For the other releases of the day please see the ‘recent releases’ page of the website as wines are coming on the market so think and fast it is hard to keep up.