Palmer 2017

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

A blend of 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored, 2017 Palmer gives a very serious nose of pronounced blackcurrant cordial, warm plums and blackberry preserves with hints of cedar chest, pencil shavings, violets, dark chocolate and star anise plus exotic wafts of sandalwood and cassia. Medium-bodied, the palate features fantastically vibrant, crunchy black fruits with a firm texture of ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. It will need a good 5-7 years to really blossom with all those tightly wound nuances, but it should be a stunner!

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2017 Palmer, a blend of 54% Merlot with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, is very deep purple-black in color and leaps from the glass with freshly macerated blue and black fruits: wild blueberries, blackberries and black cherries plus hints of licorice, rose hips, tilled soil and oolong tea with a waft of truffles. Medium-bodied, very finely crafted with exquisitely ripe and smooth yet firm tannins and sporting great mid-palate intensity and wonderful freshness, it finishes long and minerally.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

One of the wines of the vintage on the Left Bank, the 2017 Palmer is fresh and vibrant, with tons of energy. Veins of supporting salinity and floral overtones lend grace to the Grand Vin in 2017. I imagine Palmer will only blossom with a few years in bottle. Time in the glass brings out pretty notes of dark fruit, mocha, spice, leather and licorice, but overall, the 2017 is quite reticent, especially given what readers have come to expect here. The blend is 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Technical Director Thomas Duroux told me his team harvested all the fruit in nine days as opposed to the more typical 2-3 weeks. The 2017s were done with no SO2 at crush. Duroux stopped the pump overs early and favored gentle extractions. Both wines are in the 13-13.2 range of finished alcohol.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

All the elements of the château come through beautifully in the 2017 Palmer. Dark, succulent and inviting, Palmer expresses the forward, fresh style of the year very nicely. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, chocolate and dark spice notes fill out the wine's frame effortlessly. The 2017 is an understated wine of great promise. I can't wait to taste it from bottle. The blend is 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Technical Director Thomas Duroux told me his team harvested all the fruit in nine days as opposed to the more typical 2-3 weeks. The 2017s were done with no SO2 at crush. Duroux stopped the pumpovers early and favored gentle extractions. Both wines are in the 13-13.2 range of finished alcohol.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2017 Palmer was the first vintage when Thomas Duroux introduced wooden foudres. Around 60 hectoliters of the blend was used in the following vintage. It has a very elegant bouquet, a Palmer content to cruise in fourth gear, blackberry and boysenberry fruit, touches of clove and pressed flowers emerging with time, this is a well-defined nose with beautifully integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins. There is a lovely bead of acidity, dark berry fruit, slightly grainy in texture with a tangy saline finish. This is a very classic Palmer that should drink well for 20-30 years. Excellent.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2017 Palmer was cropped at 38hl/ha between 20 and 29 September and then matured in 65% new oak (though this sample was taken from a used barrel as usual). For me there is quite a large difference between the Palmer and Alter Ego, the bouquet here is much more sophisticated and demonstrating more delineation: black fruit, iris, brown spices, a touch of clove and a subtle brine influence in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, crisp acidity, smooth and harmonious with a palpable sense of tension. I love the purity here, almost to an extent that I felt like asking Thomas Duroux to eschew the new oak! This has great potential and I love the typicité that I hope will not be obstructed.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2017 Palmer was the first vintage when Thomas Duroux introduced wooden foudres. Around 60 hectoliters of the blend was used in the following vintage. It has a very elegant bouquet, a Palmer content to cruise in fourth gear, blackberry and boysenberry fruit, touches of clove and pressed flowers emerging with time, this is a well-defined nose with beautifully integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins. There is a lovely bead of acidity, dark berry fruit, slightly grainy in texture with a tangy saline finish. This is a very classic Palmer that should drink well for 20-30 years. Excellent.

james_suckling97

Reviewed by: James Suckling

This is a sexy and well-formed 2017 with very velvety and suave tannins that go on for minutes. Full-bodied, soft and round. Extremely long and last for minutes.

james_suckling98

Reviewed by: James Suckling

Very perfumed and subtle with dried flowers and citrus, as well as blue fruit. Full-bodied with wonderfully diffused, integrated tannins that just run over the edges of the wine. It’s extremely polished and very, very long. Fresh and bright. Energetic finish. A thoughtful wine. A blend of 54% merlot, 42% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot. Drink after 2023.