Bright, silky, and vibrant, this cooler-vintage Alter Ego shows off juicy blackcurrant, plum, violet, and dried herb aromas with a touch of wet slate and spice. The palate is polished and refined—leaner than riper years but full of energy and charm. A beautifully balanced, layered Margaux with freshness, finesse, and just the right amount of grip.

Decanter | D 94
Published: Dec 1, 2023
Drink: 2026-2035

Quite a rich, dark heady nose, full of blackcurrants, bramble leaf, raspberry and some dried herbs with floral touches too. Smooth and supple, you can feel the concentration in the mouth but the texture is so silky and fresh too. Bursting with energy and brightness - the fruit has a ripe touch to it - plummy and blackcurrant but the acidity is great giving a real lean and direct frame to the wine and driving it from start to finish. Polished and very enjoyable still with lots of flavour. A real cool element to the dark fruit - it’s not rich and chewy and exuberant and plush, it’s streamlined but full of juicy brightness and then a slick wet slate touch to the finish. Perfumed all the way through with cola, blueberry and liquorice touches as well. Serious and layered. A successful second wine to match the gorgeous grand vin.

The Wine Advocate | RP 92
Published: Feb 8, 2024
Drink: 2027-2041

Bursting with aromas of blackberries, mint, violets and pencil shavings, the 2021 Alter Ego de Palmer is medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with impressive density and ripeness for the vintage, its deep core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannin. Like the grand vin, it's a very strong effort this year.

Wine Spectator | WS 88
Published: Jan 1, 2024

Offers a good, albeit light-bodied, core of black cherry compote, while black tea, anise and violet notes hang in the background. The finish is relatively gentle, with just a wisp of cedary grain. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2026. 6,000 cases made.

Chateau-palmer.com

ANY WORK OFFERS ENDLESS POSSIBLE INTERPRETATIONS. Alter Ego was launched with the 1998 vintage, driven by the idea of producing another facet to the estate. Spontaneous, round, generous, and silky, this 'other wine' is both intense and light, rich and delicate. It has the elegance and grain de tanin of its predecessor. Throughout its creation, Alter Ego is led by the same high standards that govern the composition of Château Palmer's great wine.

- 2021 -  

Blend: Merlot 32% Cabernet sauvignon 60% Petit verdot 8%

While the summer put the vines on a path to greater growth, a sunny September enabled us to pick grapes bursting with promise. 2021 is a vintage in which the talents of our team made the difference, demonstrating the passion and cohesion of a collective effort.

While January heralded a cold winter, February promised kinder temperatures and nourishing rains. The return to dry weather fostered consistent budding across the vines. The spring frosts from April and May slowed growth. Flowering eventually began on May 28, in a warm, dry climate. The fruit set accelerated, and a handful of our most earliest ripening Merlots were affected by coulure. Rainfall was followed by a sharp rise in temperatures in June, leading to explosive vegetative growth. Shortly after a torrential storm on June 19, the arrival of mildew required meticulous monitoring.

A half-hearted summer until August 15 exacerbated vine growth, sparking fears of low numbers of grapes. In late August and early September, four weeks of dry weather thankfully dispelled a lot of the water and the ripening process resumed as normal, just in time for the harvest. Threatened by botrytis, the Merlot harvest started on September 24 while the Cabernets finished on October 15. Despite more modest yields than expected, the harvest was healthy with ripe grapes, and the tasting revealed a remarkably fine tannic texture.

The assemblages were finalized in early December, reflecting an ever-clearer perspective of the Château Palmer plots. This 2021 batch offers exceptionally fulfilled wines, rooted in moderation and harmony, harking back to the vintages of the previous century.