Château Palmer 2016

This is a very solid rendering, with a core of steeped blackberry, black currant and fig flavors that are juicy and well-defined. The back end picks up lots of graphite, tobacco, anise and violet notes while maintaining focus and energy. Shows latent depth as the fruit echoes steadily. Best from 2023 through 2038.

As is always the case with Palmer, the richness, depth and silkiness is just so impressive. Sophisticated and well constructed, with a vertical lift-off, there's a creamy richness on the palate which supports pencil-lead, liquorice, damson, black cherry and slate. I love the smoky cocoa bean finish. Like the Alter Ego, it's a different style this year but no less impressive, displaying width, heft and incredible persistency. It's a wine that's going to age far into the future and is extremely easy to recommend. The highest ever proportion of grand vin was produced in 2016. Stocked by Winebuyers.com

Such attractive fruit and alluring ripeness that it draws you in from the get-go. The discreet power here is delivered with a very astute touch. Assorted dark-berry aromas, as well as red plums, abound on the nose. The richness and depth in the mouth is stunning. The tannins are super polished and layered and they draw pristine dark fruit flavors deep into the finish in effortless mode. This is a star of the vintage. A blend of 47 per cent merlot, 47 per cent cabernet sauvignon and six per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024.

Technical Director Thomas Duroux and his team made one of the most brilliant wines of the 2016 vintage. Palmer is simply exceptional. Rich and dramatically sweeping in the glass, the 2016 is breathtaking. All the elements simply fall into place in a wine of mesmerizing beauty. The counterpoint of dark, sumptuous fruit and floral notes makes for an utterly compelling Palmer that will take its place among the estate's finest vintages. Dark cherry, lavender, spice and mocha are some of the many notes that build into a deep, substantial finish that is truly unforgettable. In a word: magnificent!

Still showing the color of a barrel sample, the wine is full-bodied, silky, polished, fresh, vibrant, and pure. It tastes as if you ran into the vineyard, grabbed a handful of grapes off the vine, and ate them just moments before they were crushed. The fruit has so much purity, energy, and sensuality that it’s impossible not to resist going back to the glass for another sniff, swirl, and sip. Another interesting point is the addition of a gentle, chalky minerality on the finish, adding a beautiful layer to the complexity. This is easily one of the great vintages of Chateau Palmer and will age for decades with no effort.

Intense dark ruby, opaque core, subtle brightening on the rim. Multi-faceted bouquet with delicate candied violet notes, liquorice, forest fruits, blackberry and fresh orange zest. Complex and tightly meshed on the palate with sweetly ripe fruit, fine nougat and powerful tannins that will ensure excellent ageing potential.

Intense and layered nose with discreet hints of wood, butterscotch, coffee and mocha with ripe fruit like darker cassis and cherry notes with wild berry fruit, tobacco and a mild spiciness. Dense yet silky palate with lovely flavour intensity, crushed berries, tobacco, fine wood and cocoa powder-like tannins with a very long, bright and sustained finish.

The finest vintage I’ve ever tasted from this estate, surpassing the 2009 and 2010, the 2016 Château Palmer is a blend of 47% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 65% new French oak. This magical effort reveals a saturated purple color as well as a huge nose of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and spring flowers, and it develops beautifully with time in the glass. Full-bodied, deep, incredibly concentrated and powerful, it nevertheless just glides over the palate with flawless purity and balance, present, ripe tannins, and a finish that just won’t quit. This is Bordeaux at its most regal and classic. It will be drinkable with just 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for half a century.

47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, (only) 29 hl/ha, harvest from October 3 to 18, 65% Grand Vin. Deep purple with garnet highlights at the rim. Concentrated black-fruit bouquet with blackberry and cassis, followed by violet and iris. On the palate, a creamy texture and caressing tannins, plenty of cassis candy and blueberry purée on the back palate—what elegance and finesse! In the slingshot-like finish, again blueberry, sour cherry juice, and licorice. Pure finesse! Thomas prefers this style and I can only agree; therefore, this Palmer in a classic style is also my favorite in the Margaux appellation!

Kunz barrel sample 17: (47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 29 hl/ha, 65% Grand Vin) Concentrated, velvety, complex, sweet bouquet: cassis, black blackberries, Amarena cherries, tobacco, pralines, subtle eucalyptus, dried fruits, truffle, licorice. Concentrated, multi-layered, velvety, finely opulent palate with a creamy, dense structure, powerful, sweet fruit, varied, sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, a very long, aromatic, dense finish with many sweet afterflavors. Has room to improve.

(47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 29 hl/ha, 65% Grand Vin) Concentrated, velvety, complex, sweet bouquet: cassis, black blackberry, Amarena cherries, tobacco, praline, a hint of eucalyptus, dried fruits, truffle, licorice. Concentrated, layered, velvety palate with fine opulence, a creamy, dense structure, powerful, sweet fruit, varied sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, a very long, aromatic, dense finish with many sweet echoes. Can improve further. 19/20 2024 - 2055

Just hover your nose over the glass to get excited about this wine. Inky purple in colour, cigar box, tobacco bud, pencil lead, tight cassis and bilberry fruit. Where the 2015 is generous, the 2016 is tighter, less expressive at the five-year mark, but with layers and the potential to fire up an entire room. It has the structure and chiselled fruit that signpost great Bordeaux in an exceptional vintage, with the nuanced whisper of violet and peony that takes you to the Margaux appellation. Powerful and muscular, still austere, but the moreish juice on the finish tells you how much this has to give over the next few decades. Harvest October 3 to 18. It gets better every time you go back to it. 60% new oak.

The nose of the 2016 evokes ripe black fruits. You can sense the richness, density, and concentration. On the palate, it is tight, intense, but above all marked by remarkable energy. A muscular wine to be awaited patiently.

Garnet red with purple highlights. What a bouquet! Intense and complex, with beautiful notes of blackcurrant, blueberries, and spices. Refreshing peppermint notes and a superb expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, shining at full maturity. An elegant, highly expressive attack. On the palate, the wine reflects the aromatic profile, especially its freshness. Added to this are elements tied to the tannic structure and acidity. The tannins are very fine-grained, lending a suave touch as well as power across the palate. I believe Palmer 2016 still has a thousand and one stories to tell us, and I think its score is likely to evolve—upwards, of course.

Dark, deep, purple color. Moderately aromatic nose with fresh, ripe, spicy fruit. Very pure overall, with a floral touch. Meticulous from the attack and immediately refined on the palate, very silky and airy despite its density. The wine stretches out on the finish—long, savory, finely woven, and complex in its precision and aromas. Superb and impossible to spit out.

Deep garnet in color, with a touch of purple, the 2016 Palmer takes a minute or two to unleash a powerful nose of black cherry compote, prunes, crème de cassis, and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by hints of licorice, crushed rocks, candied violets, and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is dense, concentrated and totally seductive, featuring super-ripe, velvety tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long with loads of floral and earthy sparks. The blend is 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot.

Powerful tannins and hugely rich fruit balance together in this superb wine. The velvet texture belies the power behind the concentrated, ripe black-fruit flavor, with vibrant acidity giving ample lift. The wine's structure will ensure aging for many years. Drink from 2024.