Palmer - Margaux 2012

Wine Advocate

92-92 / 100

par Neal Martin le 20/09/2022

The 2012 Palmer has a more backward bouquet than the 2008 Alter Ego, quite Pauillac-like in style with graphite infused black fruit. Commendable freshness and focus, though not powerful in style. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, fine acidity, silky smooth with a clean and precise finish; white pepper and tobacco linger on the aftertaste. Curiously, a second bottle at the Bordeaux Index tasting displayed a slight greenness on the aftertaste that prompts me to be cautious with my score. Perhaps that will assimilate with time? Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Jane Anson

95 / 100

par Jane Anson le 02/07/2022

The annual release of 10 year old Château Palmer, and this time it's an often-underrated but delicious vintage that sits in the shadow of the most prestigious years of the last decade. Proof of how slowly this wine ages, it is packed with blueberry and cassis fruits, a shot of mint leaf, mandarin peel, sage and dark chocolate, with shoulders and a serious architecture, bigger than you might expect for a vintage with such an easy-drinking, gourmet reputation. I last tasted this vintage around eight months ago and it has opened up further since then, often the case as wines shift around the decade mark, and this is an upscore. A moment when Palmer was fully committing to farming biodynamically, doubling its coverage to almost 15 hectares, and had just unveiled a new cellar. Harvest October 1 to 15, Sabrina Pernet technical director, Thomas Duroux director. 68% new oak. No rush to drink, and has many decades ahead, but you can begin thinking about it.

Decanter.com

95 / 100

par Steven Spurrier le 22/03/2022

Magnificent black-red, wonderful concentration with velvety density of texture, superbly rich yet elegant, exotic yet constrained, great wine.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/2015

Château Palmer is one of the vintage’s superstars. Opaque purple, with a gorgeous nose of blueberry, blackberry fruit, licorice, incense and graphite, the wine has a multi-dimensional, skyscraper-like richness, stunningly well-integrated acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, a finish of close to 45 seconds and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This is a great wine from Margaux in 2012 and one of the vintage’s most remarkable efforts. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2040+. The final blend was 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot.

Jamessuckling.com

96 / 100

par James Suckling le 15/02/2015

A wine with a vertical palate for the vintage. Deep and rich with polished tannins, beautiful fruit. Layered and very long. Blueberries, hazelnut, cedar and a mineral, creamy character. Fabulous for the vintage.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

par James Molesworth le 10/02/2015

Offers a lovely velvety feel, with plum sauce, red currant paste and lilac notes melded together. Subtle but persistent toast accents everything, with an inlaid iron hint hanging in the background. Shows range, weight and length, with all the elements draping nicely on the finish. Approachable now, exhibiting good mouthfeel, but this could benefit from time in the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2025. 7,500 cases made. –JM

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

90-92 / 100

par Ian D'Agata le 30/06/2013

Deep inky-purple.  Enticing perfume of blackberry, spices and violet.  Then rich, dense and suave on the palate, offering fleshy flavors of crushed blackberry, dark plum, licorice, mocha and black pepper.  This sweet, generous, fine-grained wine is perked up by insidious peppery acidity.  The finish is long and scented, with a suggestion of slightly unripe tannins at the back.  Still, this is a successful Palmer in the context of the vintage.

timatkin.com

94 / 100

par Tim Atkin MW le 30/06/2013

Palmer’s negligible price drop, partly justified by low yields of 28 hectolitres per hectare, may not make it the bargain of the vintage in 2012, but this is still a special wine. Highly aromatic, showing sweet, slightly overt vanilla oak, red berry and cassis fruit and more tannin than appears at first. Drink: 2020-35

Le Point

16 / 100

par Jacques Dupont le 16/05/2013

Le nez est marqué par l'élevage, la bouche tendue et vive; onctueux, séveux, plein, nuancé, ensemble assez élégant. O= 2017 G= 13 ans

Asian Palate

90 / 100

par Jeannie Cho Lee MW le 15/05/2013

Very dense and powerful Palmer with intense spicy nose and floral aromatics. The palate offers ripe blackberries and layers of plum and other dark berry fruits. Full bodied, great density from a vintage with very low yields - only 28hl/ha. Tannins are elevated and firm with a velvety texture. In this vintage, the yields were so low that the wines are denser and chunkier than normal.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

par Neal Martin le 03/05/2013

Tasted from a barrel sample at en primeur. The Palmer was picked between 1st and 15th October at just 28hl/ha because of the previous vintage since the vines had been pruned back to four buds per vine. A blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, the Grand Vin is very opulent on the nose for the vintage, the merlot much more expressive than the Cabernet with nascent scents of crushed violet. The palate is medium-bodied with thick juicy tannins, a crisp citric line of acidity and a sense of weight and solidity on the tightly-coiled finish. This Palmer will probably need several years bottle age. Certainly a very good grip on the finish with a marine like aftertaste. Tasted April 2013.

Wine Spectator

92-95 / 100

par James Molesworth le 30/04/2013

Juicy, with a bright leafy note framing the dark plum and blackberry fruit. Lots of singed alder and spice notes flow through the finish, which has solid but integrated grip. A buried iron edge emerges in the end. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

matthewjukes.com

19 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 30/04/2013

I can't remember a more hypnotic, youthful Palmer, with such vivacity and clarity of intense black fruit.

My Bettane + Desseauve

18 / 20

le 27/04/2013

Fort pourcentage de merlot, conforme à la tradition du cru et rare à ce niveau de classement en Médoc, fondu de texture magistral avec des sensations tactiles de velours très reposantes, grande longueur, grand style, un des rares très grands vins de l’année.

Wine Advocate

92-95 / 100

par Robert Parker le 26/04/2013

The 2012 Palmer's inky/purple color is more saturated than most Margaux's, and it offers complex notes of blackberries, cassis, licorice, truffle and spring flowers. The wine is dense, rich and full-bodied with a muscular appeal, but the tannins, as high as they are, are sweet and well-integrated. None of the new oak used during the wine-s upbringing is noticeable. Interestingly, this wine showed no evidence of dilution from the October 7-9 rainfall. I suspect it will require 3-4 years of cellaring, and should last for two decades. Thomas Duroux produced a brilliant 2012 Palmer that is unquestionably one of the stars of the vintage. High levels of tannin were up there with their best vintages, at least analytically. The final blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot results in a style of wine that is totally different than that of its nearby neighbors, Chateau Margaux, Rauzan-Segla and Malescot St.-Exupery.Drink: 2016 - 2036

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-97 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 26/04/2013

From an assemblage of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Interestingly, this is the first time Petit Verdot was included in the blend of Palmer and Alter Ego. Chateau Palmer reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The wine will be aged in 70% new French oak for between 18 and 20 months. Deep in color with scents of licorice, flowers and fresh juicy plums, the wine is silky, round and soft with a fresh black raspberry and herbal finish. This is truly successful for the vintage. 94-97 Pts

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17,5 / 20

par Jean-Marc Quarin le 22/04/2013

Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez fruité, mûr et un peu discret. Pulpeux en entrée de bouche, très aromatique au milieu, fondant, plus puissant et gras. Ce vin complexe évolue dense et ample avec beaucoup de goût vers une finale savoureuse, finement tramée et particulièrement juteuse. C’est long, très bon avec le moelleux typique du millésime. Un grand succès. Degré d’alcool 13°5. PH 3.75. IPT 78. Rendement viticole 28 hectolitres à l’hectare. Sélection pour le premier vin 55 %. Un vin construit et ascendant qui m’a impressionné par sa très bonne seconde partie de bouche. Il marque des points là où beaucoup d’autres ont des faiblesses. Pour la première fois, Palmer a assemblé ses lots de cabernet et merlot très tôt, ce qui infère un meilleur fondu.

Decanter.com

18,5 / 20

par Steven Spurrier le 22/04/2013

Magnificent black-red, wonderful concentration with velvety density of texture, superbly rich yet elegant, exotic yet constrained, great wine. 18.5/20pts ( 95/100pts)Drink: 2017 - 20 28

Jancis Robinson

18,5 / 20

par Jancis Robinson le 19/04/2013

Drink 2022-204013% press wine, pH 3.75. First vintage made in the new chai. Gravity used for the first time. Biggest impact has been on the press wines. IPT almost as high as in 2010. Sweet and voluptuous on the nose. Then lovely well-integrated freshness on the finish. So gloriously smooth. Just a note of that sweet oak I found a bit too much on the 2009 blind tasting in Southwold, but the fruit is absolutely fantastic. Very appetising. 13.5%

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

par James Suckling le 04/04/2013

A wine with a vertical palate for the vintage. Deep and rich with polished tannins, beautiful fruit. Layered and very long. Blueberries, hazelnut, cedar and a mineral, creamy character. Fabulous for the vintage.