Alter Ego de Palmer 2023 Margaux

James Suckling 
(95-96)/100 punten
This is dense and velvety with a creamy texture. Blackberry, blueberry and stone aromas and flavors. Layered. Very primary and focused. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot and 4% petit verdot. 

Antonio Galloni (Vinous)
(93-95)/100 punten
The 2023 Alter Ego is plump, juicy and super-expressive. Soft, silky tannins enshroud a core of plum, red cherry, spice, menthol and mocha. All the elements are so nicely balanced. A burst of red-toned fruit and spice lingers on a finish lifted by bright acids. This is such a sensual Alter Ego. 

Decanter
93/100 punten
Gorgeous nose, so full, voluptuous, intensely aromatic, violets, blackcurrants, damsons, cherries, plums, tobacco and liquorice and cedar spice. Deep pink purple rim too. Nice weight straight away but with tension - you get clearly ripe fruit with such high acidity. Balanced, relatively lean but still juicy, certainly full and intense but streamlined ending on a real graphite and wet stone note. Slightly more lean and austere than some but not harsh, just not as fleshy as normal. It’s got body and style, nice movement and energy, a hint of fleshiness and subtle chew to the tannins. I like this, feels a real mix of ripe and cool with freshness on the finish. 3.75pH. 14% press.

The Wine Cellar Inside 
(92-94)/100 punten
Tobacco, cedar, savory herbs, flowers, currants, cocoa, spice, and licorice pop without asking in the nose. On the palate, the wine is even better. Medium-bodied, racy, fresh, vibrant, and also loaded with fresh, vivid, black, red, and blue fruits, spice, mint, and dark chocolate. The end note lingers with the perfect blend of refreshing acidities, and lush, silky, velvety fruits. The wine is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. 13.9% ABV, 3.75 pH. Drink from 2028-2043.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent)
(90-92)/100 punten
Opaque purple-black in color, the 2023 Alter Ego strides confidently out of the glass with bold notions of crunchy black plums and redcurrant jelly plus suggestions of bay leaves, graphite, and mossy tree bark. The medium-bodied palate is bright and shiny, with vibrant black and red berry flavors and a racy backbone textured by grainy tannins, finishing with a cheeky herbal lift. The blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot.

Jane Anson
93/100 punten
Vivid ruby plum colour, great depth of flavour, balancing spiced plum, fennel, rosemary and anis with juicy blackberry and damson fruit, all delivered with a caress of floral aromatics and well-paced momentum. The August and early September heat waves meant lost yield but higher concentration, and this is a structured Alter Ego that stretches out through the palate, with a kick on the finish. September 11 harvest through to October 5, 25% new oak for ageing.

Neal Martin (Vinous)
(92-94)/100 punten
The 2023 Alter Ego represents one-third of the crop, coming exclusively from gravel soil and picked at 32hL/ha. It displays a very deep purple hue. The bouquet is notably opulent, with the Merlot very expressive and shaping the aromatics at the moment. Hints of cassis and violets lurk beneath, perhaps needing a little more delineation. The palate is actually cut from a slightly different cloth, more restrained and a touch spicier than expected. Graphite and tobacco emerge toward the finish, as if the reins have been passed over to the Cabernet component. This will be fascinating to revisit in bottle—I would just like to see more aromatic composure.

Falstaff
94/100 punten
Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Intense dark wild berry fruit, delicate liquorice, ripe cherry, delicate nougat caramel, a fine vanilla touch underneath. Medium complexity, red berry touch, fine tannins, cherry, salty aftertaste, a lively, stimulating food companion.

The Wine Cellar Inside 
(92-94)/100 punten
Tobacco, cedar, savory herbs, flowers, currants, cocoa, spice, and licorice pop without asking in the nose. On the palate, the wine is even better. Medium-bodied, racy, fresh, vibrant, and also loaded with fresh, vivid, black, red, and blue fruits, spice, mint, and dark chocolate. The end note lingers with the perfect blend of refreshing acidities, and lush, silky, velvety fruits. The wine is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. 13.9% ABV, 3.75 pH. Drink from 2028-2043.

William Kelley (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
(92-94)/100 punten
Wafting from the glass with pure aromas of cherries, berries, plums and potpourri, the 2023 Alter Ego de Palmer is medium to full-bodied, bright and vibrant, with a vigorous core of fruit framed by supple tannins. It's a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

Jancis Robinson
16.5/20 punten
Ripe and full with an explosion of fruit. Sweet, round and gourmand on the palate. Touch of warmth but balanced by the freshness of the tannins. Distinctive in style.