2010 Alter Ego de Palmer, Margaux (1.5L) (Pre-Arrival)
SKU #1066743
93
points
Wine Enthusiast
The second wine of Château Palmer is a rich, floral, smooth and perfumed wine. It has layers of dark plums and almost sweet acidity, with tannins that are buried in the voluptuous palate. The finish shows intense black currant acidity.
(3/ 2013)
91-92
points
James Suckling
Floral and blackberry and currant. Full to medium body. Round and velvety with chocolate and nuts. A firm and structured Alter Ego.
(4/ 2011)
92
points
Wine Spectator
Offers a tarry frame melded to a core of plum sauce, tobacco and dark currant preserves. Fleshy and broad, with a good charcoal spine for freshness. Approachable now, but should improve with cellaring. Best from 2014 through 2025.
(3/ 2013)
91
points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
An equal-part blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2010 Alter Ego represents 50% of the crop at Palmer. It has been an interesting second wine to take note of ever since the first vintage in 1998. The 2010 displays loads of chocolaty espresso notes, with plenty of punch, glycerin and unctuosity as well as some tannin like its bigger sister, but it is clearly meant to be drinkable at a much earlier age. It will still require several years of cellaring and should last 12-15 years. There’s no question that Thomas Duroux and the staff at Palmer are producing wines of first-growth quality, and have been for nearly a decade.
(2/ 2013)
88-91
points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
(a 51/49 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot; 82 IPT; 13.9% alcohol) Deep ruby-red. Musky aromas of blackberry, gunflint and black pepper, plus a whiff of dried herbs. Bright and linear on the palate, with lively acidity framing the flavors of dark fruits, black pepper and minerals. Finishes with smooth tannins and good length. This rather firm-edged Alter Ego is a different wine than usual, more rigorous and less fruity than the softer, suppler versions of recent years. In fact, in this vintage it resembles Palmer more than Alter Ego.
(5/ 2011)
Jancis Robinson
49% Merlot, 51% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very dark purplish crimson. Markedly aromatic. Very lifted with a strong undertow. Racy and vibrant, just a little green note there and even orange peel. Great tension and even a little sucking-stone character. Much more structure than usual for Alter Ego. Certainly doesn’t taste hot. Alter Ego is still theoretically made specifically to be drunk young but 2010 presented a challenge to this philosophy! 'In a vintage like 2010, you cannot go against it,' Thomas Duroux. This tastes like a very smart wine off its own bat. A most unusual Alter Ego. pH 3.55.
(4/ 2011)
