2019 ALTER EGO du Château Palmer Margaux Château Palmer, Lea & Sandeman

ALTER EGO

2021 du Château Palmer Margaux

Grapes Cab Sauv, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Margaux
ABV 13%

Savory black and salted-olive character with oyster shells and black licorice. Fine, almost powdery yet firm tannins. Medium body. Excellent density and structure for the vintage. Second wine of Palmer. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 8% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)


Alternatively, we may well have some bottles in one of our shops - why not give us a call on 0207 244 0522 or send an email to: sales@leaandsandeman.co.uk.

Or, check the RELATED PRODUCTS below for different vintages or wines of a similar style.


Deep plum in colour, with silky cassis and plum fruits on the attack. This is savoury, with sappy acidity that is mouthwatering rather than biting. This isn't exuberant and doesnt have huge flesh to the fruit, but it is a truly enjoyable and engaging wine that is one of the '2nds' of the vintage. More black fruit in this than the Palmer in many ways. Higher Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than usual after frost affected the Merlot, giving it more of a classical Margaux balance than you find in most vintages of Alter Ego, which tends to be generous. 3.76ph. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)

60 Cabernet Sauvignon, 32 Merlot, 8 Petit Verdot | 25% new oak, (65% aged twice - November to July and then in 30hl foudre from July to July). | 13% alc | 22 hl/ha While they lost 20% of the crop due to the inclement conditions, resulting in a 22 hl/ha yield across the estate, it might have been 5hl/ha more without the frost. I feel for biodynamic estates in vintages like these, and while yields are always low, it is often the case, certainly among the top producers, that the wines are rather delicious. This is a super-precise Alter Ego, and while winemaker Thomas Duroux was worried he would end up with a hole in the palate and hard tannins, he has made a wine that is entirely the opposite. Petit Verdot acts as a marriage counsellor, keeping the other two grapes together, and the results are astounding. Soothing, silky, refined and crunchy, this is a lesson in trusting your vines and also your instinct. Thomas thinks the timing of the ripening of the grapes contributes to the lovely, green floral note found in the finest wines. He describes this as “not unripeness, but just-ripeness”, and who am I to argue. Rating: 17.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)

The 2021 Alter Ego de Palmer is a somewhat unusual blend, in that it's fully 60% Cabernet Sauvignon this year, the estate's Merlot having suffered in the April frosts. Exhibiting aromas of cherries, sweet berries and plums mingled wit hints of spices and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and polished, with a charming, seamless profile founded on beautifully refined structuring tannins. Tasted twice. Rating: 91-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)

Château Palmer

Margaux Troisième cru 1855 What is now Château Palmer was originally part of a larger Château d'Issan but was divided among heirs and came into the ownership of the Gascq family in 1748. The widow of the last of the Gascqs, in 1814, and apparently having met him on a stagecoach, sold the estate to an Englishman, General Charles Palmer, and Château de Gascq became Château Palmer. He extended the estate and built quite a reputation for his wines (especially in London) but financial difficulties forced him to sell up in 1843 and, by the time of the 1855 classification, the reputation of Château Palmer had slipped sufficiently to rate "only" 3rd Growth status - a status it has exceded for most of its subsequent history. The present château was built at the end of the 1850's. In 1938 the Société Civile de Château Palmer was formed to take ownership of the estate, with the Sichel and Mähler-Besse families as leading shareholders, a situation which persists to this day. Château Palmer sits between Margaux and Cantenac, just east of Issan. The 55ha of vines are planted to 47% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with the balance being Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spends 21 months in wood (45% new). The second wine is Alter Ego de Château Palmer. In the best years of General Palmer's reign, the wines of Château Palmer were regarded on a par with those of Château Margaux and, indeed, during the worst years of the 1960's Palmer probably had a better reputation. Today, despite huge improvements by its neighbours, Palmer sits very squarely as the leading Margaux estate that isn't actually Château Margaux.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
  • For full delivery details see our Delivery page.
  • We offer free nationwide* delivery for all orders over £150 with our own vans. We also offer an express delivery service for an additional charge.
  • Order & Collect from any of our 5 London shops. Order by Midnight for collection the next working day from 11am.
  • Private wine storage: we offer a full In Bond and Duty Paid private wine storage service - find out more here.

RELATED PRODUCTS

ORDER     COLLECT

ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS